Time, Fate, Love, and lots of Silver Dogs
by Unlucky.Lo
Summary: Kagome's been precariously thrown even further into the time loop, meeting new people and facing new challenges; raising a baby and appealing to the youkai council among the few! Kagome/Inutaisho I call him Toga, btw... Give it a chance!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello. This is my first published story, so sorry if it sucks. As any other, I like reviews. If you read and don't review though, I understand that too (cause that's usually what I do…). Constructive criticism is welcome with open arms! Oh, and uh…

Disclaimer: Inuyasha (in all it's awesome glory) does not belong to me.

Now, on with the show!

Chapter 1: This perfect little world…

"You filthy wench!"  
>The furious inu lord crashed through the shoji screen door to his "mate's" sitting room.<br>"Where is he?"  
>He bellowed. The woman sat unfazed, completely unbothered, sipping her tea.<br>"He is no longer my problem."  
>His eyes bled red, as he smacked the tea from her hands.<br>"You witch! He can't even sit up on his own-"  
>"Well then maybe, if he's as lucky as you say, he'll die painlessly."<br>His hand wrapped around her throat in rage.  
>"Why would you do this?"<br>"Because, Toga, you don't care about anyone but yourself!"  
>He shook his head furiously.<br>"I love my son!"  
>He yelled, making the woman in his grasp squirm and scream.<br>"Then why didn't you love me?"  
>He dropped her.<br>"You're sick-"  
>"I am not!"<br>"You would doom your own son-"  
>"Because he was useless! His job was to get you to love me, and he didn't! The little bastard is more trouble than he's worth! They had to cut him out of me like he was some tumor, and all he does is cry, and-"<br>"He's just a pup!"  
>She laughed sadistically.<br>"Not anymore! Now he's just dead."  
>He stepped away from her, shaking his head.<br>"You're insane..."  
>His anger came back full force, as he picked her up and threw her through the broken screen door.<br>"Lock her up. Do not let her get away."  
>He yelled to the servants he knew were watching, before jumping from the nearest window.<p>

He would find his son… 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own, you still don't sue.

Chapter 2: Is not as perfect as it seems…

He was young; only having graced the world with his presence for the first time 3 months ago. And being as young as he was, there were few things that he understood about his world, so he usually just went with the flow. He was an easy going child for the most part, and this fact made him a lot easier to deal with. But, there were three things he was sure of:

He had a father.

This man certainly was _not_ him.

Perhaps being so easygoing wasn't always in his best interest. But, there _was_ something else he knew. When he cried, things happened.

It started out as a whimper that slowly progressed as the infant realized he was accomplishing nothing. Next came the squirming, and the wailing was not far behind. His father always came when he cried. Always. So, he would just keep it up until then.

XXXXX

"Shippo, please stay close to me."

The small boy stopped running around, moved to stand about two feet closer to her, before he started running after the various butterflies once more. Kagome only giggled, turning back to the laundry she was washing in the small stream. She flicked a piece of her long, black hair back over her shoulder thinking of how she would need to cut it…_again_. Finishing the last shirt, she laid it out to dry before laying herself down similarly. She closed her eyes, the small act helping her enjoy her moment of peace better.

"Okaa-san?"

She made a quiet sound of recognition.

"Do you ever think we will be able to go home?"

Kagome fought the wince, settling with an internal one instead. She opened her eyes, beckoning the boy into her arms. Shippo bounded happily over to her, settling into her lap.

"I told you, Shippo-chan…this is home now."

He nodded into the crook of her neck, content with her answer. Kagome knew he was only content with it for now, though. He didn't ask her about getting back to the future (which one would still consider to the past) as much anymore, but she knew it was always in the back of his mind. Kagome smiled sadly into the boy's hair: Silver. Just another thing the Shikon no Tama had changed.

:FLASHBACK:

Naraku had just fallen, and the jewel landed safely in Kagome's open palms. If it weren't for the fact that almost everyone in the large clearing turned battlefield had wounds that varied in severity and amount, Kagome was sure there would have been a cheer of joy from them all. Except Sesshomaru, of course. Three years she, and everyone here, had devoted their lives to destroying the evil Naraku, and restoring the sacred jewel. Everything they had worked for now sat clear in front of her, and it almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Do not celebrate just yet, Kagome."

The frightened teenager almost dropped the precious jewel in her hand; an understandable reaction considering it had just talked to her.

A/N: I'm looking for a Beta! If any one knows one or is one and wants to help me, review and tell me or send a private message. Again, I love reviews! Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you super awesome beta

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is…still not mine…

Chapter 3: It's filled with twists…

:FLASHBACK CONTINUATION:

Kagome stood frozen for a while; contributing her sudden stillness to fear and confusion. The Shikon No Tama was…speaking to her. Had she really hit the tree that hard? Her body had ached for a few minutes after Naraku propelled her into an outrageously large sequoia, but she had gotten up pretty quickly afterward. She looked around to her friends to help make sense of the situation, and was for a moment relieved to see them with equally confused looks on their faces, until she realized that it might have been the talking jewel that perplexed them. They could also just be confused as to why _she_ looked so confused.

"Hey! Show yourself!"

The battered half-demon, who had once again turned a curious request into an angry demand, had jumped to his feet, sword drawn again just in case. Inuyasha warily inched his way towards her as the ground was slowly overcome with mist. Kagome had been denied the cheer of victory she desired, but the tired group was quick to give out a groan of displeasure. Just when they thought things were going good, there was a mist. And mists are never good.

"Calm yourselves, children. I do not come with ill intent."

Gathering in one spot, a figure slowly took form, soon revealing the person they least expected to see.

"Midoriko-san."

Kagome whispered. The ancient miko smiled warmly at her, walking ever so gracefully her way. Kagome was in complete awe of the legendary woman; the smoothness of her steps rivaled that of Sesshomaru himself, and…she was _beautiful_.

"You've done incredibly well, my dear,"

The legendary woman whispered to her with a smile.

"All of you have fought admirably, and for your commitment and bravery, I would like to thank you."

Kagome turned to smile at her friends as well.

"But,"

Midoriko continued. _'Oh no"_, Kagome thought.

"I regret telling you that this was only a checkpoint compared to the peace you are destined to bringing about, young miko, Kagome. Your work here is done, but you must continue on even stronger n-"

"I have to leave my friends?"

Kagome couldn't help but interrupt; this was just becoming too much _way _too fast. Midoriko only smiled at her again.

"You knew in the back of your mind that this day would come, my dear."

Kagome looked away, worrying her bottom lip. She had. She tried to ignore her friends as they called for her, knowing from having experienced the magic of the shikon many times that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye.

:END FLASHBACK:

Sure enough, Kagome had been surrounded almost immediately in a light that was progressively getting brighter and brighter. She slowly began to rock back and forth, ghosting her fingers over Shippo's back. She was grateful for the his presence everyday she spent in this time period, but she prayed everyday Midoriko would return him to the Feudal Era; to Inuyasha, and Sango, and Miroku, to a life that had at least some stability. He had been watching from a distance as Midoriko appeared and told Kagome she would be taken from their time, and had rushed to her when the light started to glow around her feet. It was too late for the spell to be undone, and the magic propelled not just her, but Shippo back through the well.

Kagome knew immediately that she was not back in her own time when she looked up from the bottom of the well and saw clouds where a roof should have been. She remembered swearing off ever trying to "predict" the next move of Fate. Shippo had raced off immediately, hoping to find the God Tree; their beacon of hope. They found the tree, with no scar…with no Inuyasha. It was then that they realized they were even farther in the past then the time they knew. It was then that Shippo collapsed into her arms.

Kagome worried. Worried and cried. Shippo had become her son, and even while he was unconscious, she could tell by the way he writhed and groaned that he was in agony. She wanted to stay awake with him around the clock, but she was eventually pulled into a reluctant sleep as well. Midoriko met her in her dream state, explaining that Shippo was going through a transformation that was originally meant for her. He was turning into an Inu youkai. The legendary miko didn't explain why the spell had been necessary in the first place, only that his pain should be over soon, along with his transformation.

Kagome had really begun to hate Fate.

A/N: Just a little (a lot) of background info, and I apologize for the terrible "mist" cliché. Anyway, review review review! Oh, and if you have any questions, or you want me to slow down (or speed up), message or review and tell me!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't…

Chapter 4: And turns…

:DREAM SEQUENCE:

"…And the slayer and the monk have the beginnings of quite the brood."

Kagome laughed to herself; she had always known they would work out. She did not ask Midoriko the fate of her friends very often, for she knew it would hurt more to hear of their lives day-by-day and not be able to see them. But, the occasional update was enough for her these days. It had been 2 years after all…

"And how is Shippo coming along? He should be coming into quite a few new powers?"

Kagome winced at the touchy topic choice.

"Considering he spent the majority of his life as a fox kit, I think his progress is fine."

Midoriko sighed, turning sad eyes to Kagome.

"He hasn't realized any of them has he?"

The younger miko stood up with a huff, throwing back her pitying stare with a look of defiance.

"He had only truly come into his fox magic at the time you and the fates _mistakenly _transformed him into an inu! He is just a child!"

Midoriko matched the younger woman's anger with that of her own.

"The fates- The Kami, do not make mistakes Kagome. Yes, the transformation was originally intended for you, and once a plan has been set into motion not even the Kami can stop it. But after realizing that leaving your humanity intact would have more impact, and in the long run better your chances of success on your quest, there was a change of plans."

Kagome opened and closed her mouth like a fish, taking in all the elder miko had told her. She could tell that Midoriko was purposely talking around the subject.

"So Shippo…was just a diversion? You forced something on him just because the Fates couldn't think things all the way through the first time?"

"Watch you tongue, Kagome!

"No! I'm sick of being a pawn to the Kami!"

"An amusing notion at best, because you were perfectly fine with it when you were ignorant to the fact that you were destined for greatness."

Kagome grit her teeth, having nothing more to say. She knew the words Midoriko spoke were true; she had had no problem cavorting around the entire countryside looking for jewel shards when she thought it was an obligation of her own, but now that she knew she was merely acting on the motives of someone else…

"They do understand, Kagome."

Midoriko placed her hand on her shoulder, snapping Kagome out of her musings.

"The Kami are aware that you are not particularly fond of knowing that your choices in life are not your own- who would be? Sometimes…ignorance is bliss."

The tenseness that surrounded them previously faded quickly as they both shared a giggle. The world around them slowly began to rock; had it not happened several times before, the two women wouldn't have noticed.

"It seems as if our time is being cut short, Kagome."

The younger woman nodded; Shippo must've been shaking her, trying to wake her.

"I'll see you again?"

Kagome flashed her a bright smile, having forgiven the miko that floated in front of her. Midoriko had been just as much a pawn as she; trapped forever in the jewel fighting a war for peace. Midoriko laughed again, placing her hand on Kagome's cheek.

"Not this time, little one. Today is the day your journey begins."

:END DREAM SEQUENCE:

"Okaa-san, please wake up."

Kagome sat up quickly, having been pulled abruptly from her dream. The boy at her side was startled by her sudden movement, for only a few seconds ago he was coming to the realization that she was unawake-able.

"What is it, Shippo?"

"A baby!"

He whispered frantically. Kagome squeezed the bridge of her nose, still trying to come back to herself. A baby? What baby?

"The one that's crying, Kaa-san, can't you hear it?"

No, she couldn't hear it. She wasn't even aware that she had said that out loud.

"Uh…"

She stammered before going quiet, focusing in on her surroundings. Oh Kami, she did hear it. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing for her arrows just as quickly. The poor child was crying it's little heart out.

"Stay close to me Shippo, alright?"

The small boy nodded, grabbing the back of her yukata.

A/N: The longest chapter so far! Back story…FINISHED! Onto the good stuff! Thanks for sticking with me through it, hope it wasn't too slow and boring for you guys. Oh yeah! To those people who added me to their story alerts list, I'm flattered (really I am), but is a review too much to ask for? I assume you wouldn't add a story to your alert list if you didn't like it, SO TELL ME! Seriously, it only takes like…two minutes or less. Please? Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: And just when you want to quit…

Toga sliced mercilessly through another tree, his eyes gone completely red. His breath came in pants, but from anger instead of over-exertion. Two days. Two days he had searched for his son and he had nothing to show for it. He roared again, smashing a new path for himself. The trees hit the ground with a loud crash, but it fell on deaf ears. The only sound he wished to hear was his son.

"My son…I am coming for you…:

XXXX

"Unhand him. I will not ask again."

Kagome quickly notched an arrow. She held it taut, ready to release it at a moments notice. The baby continued to scream, even louder now; what with confusion piled on top of his already fussy mood. Kagome fought a wince every time she heard the child scream, her resolve strengthening the longer it went on. She knew the sounds of a child in distress when she heard them.

"Shippo!"

She hollered, releasing her arrow. The large youkai, that had been completely silent up to this point, let out a single yell as he was completely purified. The small boy that traveled with her had been waiting behind her opponent, and he rushed forward dutifully to catch the screaming baby.

"I got him!"

He called, now rushing towards her with the poorly wrapped bundle.

"Thank you, Shippo-chan, nice work."

She managed to get out before being overcome with the grimace she tried to fight down. The baby had obviously been fed, otherwise he would not have been able to stay alive for the captivity that she estimated for around two or three days from the smell of his diaper; the diaper that had obviously NOT been changed.

"Okaa-san…he smells…"

Great…now she knew what else she was facing when she changed the baby: A two day old, soiled diaper, and a distance pee-er.

"Shippo? Can you tell which way to the nearest stream?"

The little boy nodded enthusiastically, always happy to help. He moved just a little bit away from her, in the hopes of catching wind of anything other than the smelly baby. Once he found a spot of clean air, he began his task.

Kagome took her eyes off of him, returning her gaze to the covered, screaming baby. She hadn't heard about any demons snatching children from the village they had just passed, so she assumed he must have been taken from one somewhere up the road.

"Alright, little guy, we'll get you cleaned up and hopefully back…to…wherever…"

The words died in her throat as she removed the thin blanket covering the baby boy's face. The baby stopped crying as well. Just as shocked to see her as she was him. She rubbed the twin magenta stripes on his cheek, a small smile touching her lips as she remembered always having wanted to know what they felt like. She traced the pale blue crescent on his forehead next.

"Well…you're a little farther from home than I expected."

She whispered, moving a piece of the baby's surprisingly long silver hair from his face. He had stopped crying and merely blinked at her.

"Kaa-san! Just a little bit that way!"

She nodded, not really looking up at Shippo, but following behind the sound of his skipping just as well. It was quiet as they walked; Shippo having come up with his own game to keep him, and Kagome too lost in her own thoughts to talk. She knew she had been thrown back into the past at least 100 years, but certainly not this far…

"And just what does finding you have to do with my destiny, Sesshomaru?"

'Today is the day your journey begins…', Midoriko had told her. Surely this had something to do with it…right? She heaved a sigh, deciding not to bother with trying to find the rationale of the Fates. Her only focus now was the inu pup in her arms; getting him bathed and back to the West.

XXXXX

Sesshomaru stared up at the woman that held him so gently. He decided not too long ago that he wasn't going to give her a hard time. She bathed him and changed him, and as far as he was concerned, that was as good as people got. She wasn't his father, but she would do for now.

A/N: Was that…2 chapteers in one day? I think YES! Again I thank my awesome beta/friend because…well because she's awesome! Now that "the baby's" identity has been revealed, things will move a lot quicker (I promise), so don't lose interest yet! As always, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW (two minutes of your time that will forever warm my heart!) Check my profile for updates (if I'm away too long), unfortunately school does start soon, but since my chapters aren't very long, they'll probably be up every two-three days. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I am not her

A/N: The chapters aren't gonna get much longer…if you really want to know why PM me and I'll tell you.

Chapter 6: Things get better…

She had been groped on more than one occasion (by a man that she had grown to see as a brother). She had walked in on a few "steamy" moments between Inuyasha and Kikyo. Hell, she had even been on a date with Hojo, and none of those things were nearly as awkward as trying to convince a baby that you really, truly, honestly could _**not**_ breastfeed him.

"Stop that, Sesshomaru!"

She scolded, removing his small hand from the edge of her kimono, again hoping he would actually stop tugging on it this time. He didn't cry, which is what Kagome initially expected; he only blinked up at her in what she could only assume was annoyance before going for it again. She couldn't help but giggle; normally someone this persistent would have aggravated her, but she much preferred persistence to the overt hostility and aggressiveness she remembered from older Sesshomaru.

And he was just so CUTE!

"Okaa-san, little Sessho doesn't have teeth yet. What will he eat?"

Shippo's innocent question along with Sesshomaru nuzzling up against her had her blushing in no time. She ran her fingers through the baby's soft, silver hair, not able to be upset with him (and hoping to somehow distract him from his apparent hunger). Sesshomaru gurgled, content with the calming gesture and falling into a light sleep for the time being.

"I don't know, Shippo-chan…"

Kagome finally answered, coming back to herself a little. She ghosted her fingers over the baby boy's striped cheek; she felt another smile working it's way onto her face. She estimated (using her own assessment on his weight, length and muscle tone, and Shippo's insistence on knocking it down another month or two since youkai pups grew faster than human babies) that Sesshomaru was about two months old. Needless to say, the care she gave her son paled in comparison to her new charge.

Kagome stilled her ministrations as she felt the baby begin to squirm, having not thought that her light touches would be enough to wake him. Sesshomaru only cooed though, thankfully, staying asleep. He, in fact, leaned into her soft touch, wrapping one small hand around her much larger finger. Kagome giggled, kissing his small knuckles. She didn't know how long Sesshomaru was going to be a charge of hers or just how she was going to take care of him properly, but she slowly realized that she didn't care anymore. She ran her thumb over his tightly closed fist. She vaguely thought again about her Fate, her destiny; she thought about what the legendary miko had told her before she disappeared…she snorted. She only hoped for the sake of the Fates that Sesshomaru was a part of their little plan for her, because she was officially commiting herself to one task and one task only. She'd find a way to keep both the little boys in her care as happy and carefree as possible.

Fate could wait.

XXXXX

The inu general stood stock still, every synapse in his overworked brain now working overtime. Three days he had gone with enough evidence to prove that his son had fallen off the face of the earth ... he and his captor of course. No scent trail whatsoever was he given. He had been searching frantically for three days, only to have his son's scent re-appear. There was no better word for it. It was as if the large cloud that slunk lazily in front of the sun, stealing the warmth from the creatures of earth, had _finally_ moved out of the damn way. He could smell his son again. His Sesshomaru.

The only thing that could possibly make this realization better was the fact that he, and the rather odd group he was traveling with that consisted of a human woman and another inu youkai, were headed straight for him.

At the pace of a snail, he also noted (at least, if you were to compare their pace to his only moments ago). No matter, he would just meet them half-way.

XXXXX

Kagome grimaced again at the sharp pain radiating from her chest, wishing that this accursed, _horribly_ awkward day would just come to and end. She mumbled a few choice words, something about wishing the Kami would have thrown a bottle her way when they decided to drop a baby on her, but made sure to keep her voice low to avoid the ears of both Shippo, and her youngest passenger. Sesshomarau was in a deeper sleep now, having finally gotten what he wanted all along.

The pup didn't know just how lucky he was that there just so happened to be an herb that forced lactation.*

Kagome hid her sigh, making sure to wrap her arm around Sesshomaru, to ensure that he wouldn't be falling from the makeshift sling the elder village miko had also generously provided her with, as she bent down and brought her struck her flint stone next to the dry leaves. She called Shippo over to the growing fire, rolling out the blankets she had sewn together to resemble her old sleeping bag next. She hesitated, making sure he was seated properly, before gently handing him the sleeping pup.

"I'll be right back."

She whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He nodded, not wanting any words of his to wake the baby in his lap, and also too tired to do much else. Kagome smiled at the picture they made, standing back to her full height. She erected a strong barrier around them before setting off into the outer circle of the clearing. She hoped that what little daylight remained was enough to find something for Shippo to eat.

It had become obvious to Toga that this woman was without a doubt NOT the one who had taken his son. And if she was, she was in the wrong line of work. He had been watching her since the sun began it's decent, hoping to make some sense of her to aid him when he finally revealed himself, but he still had not gathered one, sensical, thing. Since the elder boy was not his own, he had no choice but to assume that he was with her all along. He had humored the idea of her trafficking inu children from all the noble families, but the boy bore no markings, so the idea was quickly thrown out. She left the camp sight she had set up; his son now in the care of the older boy, and since it was obvious that the tike would not be able to protect himself or Sesshomaru if something dared to attack, he stepped out from his spot in the shadows.

Sesshomaru cooed, grabbing at the fingers of the boy who held him, before promptly slobbering all over them. Shippo giggled, fighting against the baby inu's surprisingly strong grip.

"Stop, Maru-chan."

Shippo had found the nickname not too long ago and stuck with it, because Sesshomaru was a bit of a mouthful. The baby flashed a toothless grin, more drool leaking from the corners of his mouth at the gesture. Gross, but entirely too cute.

"Stop right there!"

Shippo looked up with a gasp, craning his neck toward the sound of his mother's voice. She stood behind him with an arrow at the ready…pointing at something in front of him. Turning back around, he could (at first) only see the billowing fabric of the "something's" hakama. Looking up he realized just who this "something" was and why he was here.

"Okaa-san, he is Sesshomaru's Otou."

Kagome hid her surprise well, not displaying a bit of it on her face, as she released a bit of her strain on the bowstring. The man certainly looked the part…

A/N: Hello! Sorry this took soooooooo long (I really didn't think it would), but I promise you the next one will be up either tomorrow or in two days. After that though, they'll probably trickle down to once a week. I'm sorry! Oh, and sorry about the cliffhanger, but I had to write something that would make you come back (hopefully…?). I know this was a little slow too, but Kags and baby Sess needed bonding time! Anyway (and yes, I know I've said this before), next chapter the ball REALLY starts to roll. STICK WITH ME! Review Review Review! Even if you just wanna tell me to speed up!

* = hahaha sorry about the awkwardness. The idea was my cousins, and I kind of ran away with it. If you didn't find it as funny as me, feel free to tell me it was a failure.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 7: And better…

The two adults merely stared at each other for a time. Kagome, because she was taking the period of silence to take in the man that stood before her, noticing everything there was to notice about him. She was actually a bit ashamed that she didn't realize immediately that he was Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father. His long, platinum hair was pulled into a high ponytail and still it hung almost to his feet. Instead of the twin stripes on Sesshomaru's cheeks, he had one, thick stripe on both cheeks, similar in color to the crescent Sesshomaru sported. His armor looked bulky and heavy, but she knew that, to him, it weighed next to nothing.

Toga was simply taking the time to notice her noticing him.

"Aaah!"

Sesshomaru squealed, taking notice of his father's scent, jarring said adult from his own thoughts. Toga flicked his eyes over to his son in the arms of the other boy, so overwhelmed that he actually allowed some of his relief to show on his face. His guard returned quickly at the sound of the female's voice.

"Uh, I assume you're here for Sesshoma-"

"I am."

He answered, not even bothering to listen to what he knew she was going to say. Instead he took a step forward, only to be thrown almost all the way across the clearing. Even afterwards he could feel the tingle of spiritual powers across his skin. A miko. She was a miko.

'I underestimated her…'

Now, she was a threat. His eyes tinged red as he approached her again, consequently putting Kagome back on her own guard.

"Drop your weapon, Miko. Your barrier as well."

Kagome worried her bottom lip as she took in the situation again.

"I think you should calm down."

She cursed herself for the less than adequate response. When did they ever calm down just because you told them to? Toga began to growl immediately, the red where the whites of his eyes should have been growing brighter by the second. She was again reminded that "never" was the answer to her question. They _never_ calm down because you tell them to.

"Drop your barrier, and release my son to me."

Traveling with Inuyasha for more than a year can shorten anyone's fuse.

"Release? It isn't like I'm holding him hostage. Why he's even in my care is what needs to be discussed."

Kagome wasn't even completely sure with herself as to whether or not she meant to say those last few words aloud, but it happened.

"Your care? As it stands, miko, you are the one and only suspect-"

"Suspect? He's your son! It was probably your gross negligence that got him captured!"

Toga was around the barrier and in front of her before she could even take in a breath from her last rant. Conveniently, he had sliced her bow clean in two in the same flash of movement, and even more conveniently both of the children that had been forced to watch this altercation, one understanding the clear danger far easier than the other, were growing more and more distraught.

"Taisho-sama, please don't hurt my Okaa!"

Shippo struggled to stand, but managed to do so without dropping the baby he held. Sesshomaru was whining too, confused with the two overpowering auras in his midst.

The rapidly accelerating altercation fell flat instantly. Even despite their obvious differences, their opinion on 'children coming first' was pretty similar. Kagome stepped around him, dropping her barrier. Shippo surprisingly didn't run to her first. He approached the domineering inu Lord, handing him his son. He bowed, before scurrying back to his mother.

"You have your son back."

Kagome was talking much more timidly now; a mixture of the fact that she was a bit sad to see the little one go, and the fact that she had always been prone to ever-changing emotions. Toga noticed her quick emotional change as well, and it only added to her oddness. She was deceptively powerful, highly emotional, and she took care of a youkai child.

"Your insolence has not been forgotten, Miko."

She sighed. Of course he was still angry about her "you're a bad parent" jab, she would have brought it back up too.

The both of them were startled at the whip that neatly trimmed all the grass at the feet of the youkai Lord.

"No! You got Sesshomaru back! Leave my Okaa-san alone!"

Toge was extremely surprised. There were very few inu that could conjure up a whip, and at that age. Of course, he had discovered his when he was half the boy's age, destroying quite a few of his mother's precious moonflowers in the process, but he had been trained.

'_No matter. Training the boy would mean taking the Miko.'_

The boy would develop it on his own.

XXXXX

He had learned something else while he had been away from his father. He liked being with the woman a great deal. She was quite a wonder to him. He could sleep _and_ eat without ever leaving her arms, and her scent calmed him. There was a boy too, bigger than him, but smaller than his father, and he played with him whenever the woman was not around. Sesshomaru was a pup that loved attention, that much was certainly true.

His father was leaving the area with the woman and the boy, he could tell by the fading of the scents he had committed to memory. He was going to take him back to their home, that much he knew. But that meant he was taking him back to the other woman; the one that tried gave him away. An easygoing child he was, but he didn't like _that_ idea.

XXXXX

Toga stopped walking as his son began to whimper.

"Sesshomaru?"

He knew his son wouldn't answer him, but he had to ask anyway. He sighed, continuing on his way, but Sesshomaru's wails got louder the farther away he got from the clearing. He furrowed his brows in slight irritation.

XXXXX

"Shippo! Come back here!"

XXXXX

"Taisho-sama! I know why Sesshomaru is so sad. My Okaa had to feed him herself because he doesn't have any teeth, and now he's hungry again."

Toga felt the heat rise to his cheeks, knowing what the boy was talking about━and not knowing whether or not to be grateful or disgusted. He turned to face the miko who had ran after them, Apparently he had crossed more distance then he thought, but he was strangely comforted by the similar awkward blush that stained her cheeks.

Kagome could have melted into the ground and been happy.

'Not this again…'

Toga was frozen again. He cursed himself, not appreciating that this enigma of a woman had rendered him speechless twice already. Sesshomaru had only been with these two for a day, but he had obviously bonded with her. Back at the palace, It was Hatsu that fed him back at the palace, and he certainly would not be allowing her anywhere near Sesshomaru ever again…and he would definitely need to be fed. He stepped toward the unsuspecting Miko.

"Don't!"

Shippo hollered again, moving in front of her, displaying a stance that he assumed was supposed to be protective. He barely stood at the Miko's hip though, so he was certainly no threat.

"You may be bigger, but I won't let you hurt her!"

He accompanied his declaration with a growl. Toga fought a chuckle, actually thinking of how the protective front of the small boy was admirable. And he really did need to be trained. Perhaps they could work something out…

A/N: This was awful. Since I know it, it's okay. This might just be a space holder (cause it really sucks), but I promised a quick update, and I also promised to get things moving…I don't know…Still review though! The next chapter won't be so awkward…I'm really sorry about this one though…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Shippo was certainly surprised that the Inu no Taisho was addressing him. He knew for a fact that, despite that one bow he forced, his manners were not exactly "spot on". He had tried to level the taiyoukai with the ground, for goodness sakes (tried, of course, being the operative word). He had to protect his mother, though!

"Yes?"

He responded, not liking how his voice squeaked, exploiting his not-so-strong front.

"You call her your 'mother', does she treat you well?"

'The nerve!'

Kagome thought, glaring openly at the inuyoukai, not at all impressed with his vindictive words. She sent a satisfied smile his way next as her son replied in the affirmative. Shippo nodded his head frantically, grabbing her hand and pulling her to his side.

"My Okaa-san is the best! She makes really good food, even though we have to have the same thing a lot of the time. She likes all little kids, and she helps them when they are hurt when we pass villages and stuff. And she was really good with Sesshomaru too, and-"

"Shippo."

Kagome silenced him, yanking him behind her instead. Shippo grabbed onto the back of her yukata, staying quiet obediently. He had to make sure the Taisho-sama knew that his mother took good care of Sesshomaru, because even though the baby was small, Shippo liked playing with him. His Okaa was fun, but other kids were _more_ fun. Toga was silent, but this time, he was content with saying nothing; this time he was silent in speculation instead of confusion. He knew for a fact that if he kept the Miko around, he would most likely be in a state of constant annoyance, but besides Sesshomaru's mother, he had no one else in his palace that could...do what was necessary for his son's feedings. And since it was so necessary, he had to leave with her.

"Miko, your son requires teaching that you cannot give him regarding his powers."

She winced, hating the words that were very similar to those of Midoriko; just plain hating the subject entirely!

"I am aware."

Toga shook his head, vowing to himself that he wasn't going to let her stress him. She would be at the palace for at _least_ a year.

"He will have to be trained at my palace. There happen to be very few inu that are strong enough to train him, and all of them reside with me-"

"You can't take Shippo with you!"

Toga sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"I did not mean I would be leaving you behind, Miko."

XXXXX

Kagome trudged behind the three inu youkai, having said nothing for quite some time. Sesshomaru was too little to talk to her (or be bothered by her silence). Shippo had attached himself to the older male, and Toga was the least bit bothered by her choice to remain silent.

Her eyes were speculative, and she was using almost every part of her brain in an attempt to make sense of the taiyoukai she had distanced herself from. He didn't seem evil; anyone that looked at him for a second when Sesshomaru was around would be able to see the _gaping_ soft spot that he had for the pup, and that side of him seemed to extend to all children. He could try and spout the nonsense about wanting to preserve the stronger inu from his depleting race all he wanted, she could see that he cared for her little boy too. If it had been any other child, she would have questioned a bond that formed in two hours.

But Shippo was pretty freakin' irresistible.

A smile touched her lips at the thought. Besides, her spontaneous bond with Sesshomaru was much the same.

"Miko."

Her head snapped up, for she had been looking at the ground, only to come face-to-face with the demon lord infesting her thoughts. It actually was more like face-to-chest; he was a great deal taller than her.

"Sesshomaru requires your-"

She all but snatched the small child from him, shutting him up effectively, and scurrying behind a tree. She sat on the large roots, delving back into her thoughts as she tended Sesshomaru, the pup himself perfectly content with the arrangement. Thinking back to the Taisho, she soon found herself comparing him to his sons. As things stood, the only one of them that she could identify was older Sesshomaru. Not much of his character reminded her of Inuyasha. She remembered joking about never being able to meet someone that could pull of such a frighteningly impassive face as well as Sesshomaru, but ,by the looks of it, his father had invented the expression.

'_Er…non-expression…'_

She attempted to reason with herself with a giggle. It was easy to understand though; with so many enemies, you could only give away so much. And at least he didn't refer to himself in third person.

'_And he's beautiful…'_

She blushed furiously, flustered by her own thought. Thankfully, Sesshomaru needed to be burped now, effectively shifting her attention from her wandering thoughts.

XXXXX

The little tyke was quite the character actually. Toga had only "known" the boy for short, but already he had gathered information on his favorite foods, colors, and seasons. He knew that the boy would never pay attention in any kind of lesson. For his attention span was much too short. He knew that, to little Shippo, his "mother" was the most beautiful, strong, and caring woman to ever be. Of course, all those things about the Miko could be easily debated, but he wouldn't crush the pup's dreams. The pup had many questions for him as well, which was also understandable considering the natural curiousity of inu youkai. He, in fact, had a question or two for the boy.

"Shippo."

Shippo was more used to his name being spoken as a question when someone was asking for his attention, but hearing his name spoken quietly by the Taisho was enough to get him quiet.

"Yes?"

"Where is your father?"

The boy looked away from him, re-training his eyes on the butterfly he had been tracking.

"I don't have one."

Yes, Shippo knew he had a father, but he didn't remember much of him. He remembered avenging his death with Inuyasha, so he must have cared for him, but there wasn't much else. Unlike other canines, foxes weren't really known to run in packs, and even within their small family there was a distance. And he had his Okaa-san now, and she was the best.

Toga chuckled at the little boy's musings, noticing by his overall body language that he probably had no idea he was speaking aloud.

XXXXX

The sun was setting now, and (almost) everyone was dismayed, knowing they were no closer to the West. Sure they had covered about 12 miles, but that was hardly a dent in the distance that needed to be travelled.

"Toga-sama?"

Shippo inquired, looking up and using the elder youkai's name now that he knew it. The man locked eyes with him briefly, letting him know he had his attention.

"Can't you fly?"

XXXXX

Again, Kagome trailed behind them, left to her own devices. This time, she was allowed to keep Sesshomaru in her arms (for reasons she knew not of but did not fight) so she was substantially less bored. The occasional floating blossoms left Sesshomaru a drooling, gurgling ball of fun. He was also becoming a huge fan of her hair; more a huge fan of her face after he tugged it as hard as he could, but it was all the same to him. The pup slept now, her pinkie finger his current hostage as he snoozed away, so all Kagome was left to do was enjoy his cuteness…and of course wonder how he could have possibly been so cold as an adult. He was the calmest, most content baby she had ever interacted with!

She stopped a few paces behind the Lord of the West, noticing he and Shippo had stopped as well. She didn't really want to ask why he had stopped walking, for she knew her words would only annoy him; the less she _added_ to the obvious animosity between them, the better. But even if she had, her inquiry would have been interrupted by the sudden screaming throughout the clearing.

She didn't even have time to be embarrassed when she realized they were _her_ screams.

"Toga-sama!"

She clutched tightly at the fabric of his kimono, since his arm had found its way around her waist.

"Stop yelling, Miko."

She could hear the venom in his words, but what else could you expect from someone who had the ground she was used to replaced with a cloud that she was not…hundreds of feet in the air! She had a death grip on Sesshomaru, who was actually awake again, and COMPLETELY un-afraid. Even Shippo was laughing, reaching with one hand out to the low clouds that they passed. She turned to glare at the inu that held her, and her look only became more deadly as she saw his own expression.

He was smiling! Laughing at her foolishness…

"I'm not going to drop you, Miko."

He whispered, and she couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine and the blush that made it's way to her cheeks.

"It's Kagome…"

She mumbled, looking away from him, staring off at the setting sun.

'_What have I gotten myself into…?'_

A/N: TADA! New chapter! And it's not nearly as painfully awkward as that last one! Hope you liked it! REVIEW MY CHILDREN! And don't forget to check my profile for updates! Oh yeah, and Kagome is around 20-21 ish, if you don't feel like doing math…


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be on if I owned Inuyasha.

A/N: Hey! I'm back! This note is gonna be quick (cause there will be a longer one at the end of the chapter) but- even though I know that first chapter was poorly formatted- did everyone forget Sesshomaru's mama is in lock-up? No worries though, she still has a say in this…

Chapter 9: Slowly but surely…

Toga sighed for what had to have been the fifth in an hour. His job had certainly been stressful before, but never this stressful! Palace life, and his life by association, had changed so much in the last month that it still blew his mind.

:FLASHBACK:

It was definitely well into the night when they began to descend. Kagome stayed silent, in awe of everything she encountered. The palace was quite amazing to say the least. Sure, Kagome had certainly seen buildings this tall, if not taller, back in her own time, but just knowing that _whenever_ this majestic building had been made- because she really didn't know how old it was- that it had been made with hand tools made the experience that much more awe inspiring.

As Toga removed his arm from her waist, she felt the familiar tugging of her son on the back of her kimono. She quickly adjusted Sesshomaru in her arms, freeing up one of her hands so that she could grab hold of Shippo's hand; she wanted to do this quickly, since Toga had not missed a bit and the distance between them was growing every second.

"C'mon, Shippo."

The drowsy child rubbed his eyes, but picked up his dragging pace.

It was well into the night, but still the Western palace was in a flurry. Toga was more than a little put off by this fact, especially when he caught wind of a certain scent.

"You were instructed to keep her locked up…"

He almost sighed aloud in exasperation at the look of confusion that spread across the face of more than a few of his servants; if there was one thing he hated more than being confused himself, it was being in the presence of confusion itself.

"My Lord, Lady Hatsu informed us that that the threat had passed, and that it was now okay for us to release her."

A hand maid replied, eyes downward as trained. Toga growled fiercely, following the scent he now found rather repulsive.

"There was no threat. I ordered her to be imprisoned. She lied for her freedom."

"Our Lady would never do such a thing!"

Another maid spoke. Toga was before her with a speed that no one in the room- and certainly not the miko that was still stunned silent- could track...

"Do you question me?"

His tone was quiet, but fierce, and had the overwhelmed maid trembling.

"No, My Lord."

It was enough, and Toga backed off. He wasn't one to threaten his servants for any reason; he did not want them to fear him. There was nothing worse then having a traitor in your own home, and the easiest way to acquire a traitor was by mistreating the servants. He sighed, stepping back. He had a feeling that with the arrival of the miko, he was going to have to be even nicer to his staff to keep their faith.

"Good…The fact that she did lie should be enough to prove that she would lie."

He continued on towards the vile scent, slamming the shoji screen open much like he had four days ago. Four Days.

"I was informed that you lied for your freedom."

She sipped her tea nonchalantly, just like she had before…and it annoyed him to no end.

"I knew you were just angry when you told them to imprison me. Yes, I lied to get out, but you were gone anyway. It was just what you needed to clear your head. I assumed you would be happy when you came back and I was waiting for you."

His eyebrow actually twitched in annoyance.

"You assumed wrong."

His attention did not linger on her for very long, as he turned hard eyes to the guards watching the door. He instructed them to take her back to the dungeons, and under no circumstances were they to let her out. As they went about their instructed task, Toga thought-

'_I must remember to fire the last two…'_

It was only four days ago, so he had not forgotten that he had said "Lock her up. Do not let her get away."

He may have made an effort to be civil to the staff he had, but he had zero qualms with firing those who blatantly disobeyed him.

He came out of his thoughts to the sound of commotion in the hall. The screeching Hatsu was quick to his ears, and he could feel the headache developing immediately.

:END FLASHBACK:

Of course, Hatsu had been at Kagome's throat immediately when she caught sight of her. It was only the fact that her hands were restrained that kept her from actually doing the shocked miko harm. He closed his eyes, feeling the same headache from that night resurface as a dull throb…though he was pretty sure it never went away. Hatsu had gone kicking and screaming down to the dungeons again, and it appeared that the sight of Sesshomaru only aggravated her more.

Not that he cared. Not any bit at all.

"Toga-sama!"

The ragged inu lord was immediately alert once more. He was barely around his desk before the small mass that he had now known to recognize as Shippo came barreling into him.  
>The pup's tasked tutor came rushing in soon after.<p>

"Taisho-sama, I apologize for the boy's interruption- Shippo, get back here."

Of course, Toga noticed that the tutor spoke the last part softer than the rest. He also noticed the trembling of the small boy that held desperately onto his leg. He furrowed his brows in both confusion and annoyance, before righting his expression skillfully.

"It is no matter."

The lord replied. An attempt at a reassuring smile crossed the tutor's face, and it only served to change the confusion that clouded Toga's mind into anger. What was the man hiding? The taiyoukai wondered if he was doing ten things at once to have hired a man like this to teach the child that _cowered_ behind him.

"Shippo, come-"

"Iie! I don't want to study anymore...please Toga-sama, don't make me go..."

Substantially better at whispering than his hired teacher, Shippo pleaded with the inu lord he had assaulted previously when rushing to him for protection. He looked up at the back of the elder man's head...looking for **some** sort of recognition. The pup released a breath even he hadn't realized he was holding at the sight of the inu lord inclining his head towards him ever so slightly. Toga frowned, realizing just how afraid the pup was.  
>And what was that on his cheek?<p>

"Shippo?"

Toga fully ignored the tutor; but if he had paid him any attention, he would have seen him fidgeting in his spot. He kneeled, taking the boy's chin in his hand, and turned his other cheek into his line of sight. A growl built in his chest at the sight of the developing bruise marring the boy's cheek. Shippo squirmed, whimpering as he tried to get out of the inu lord's hold.

"Shippo-"

Toga reached out to grab the pup's small hand that was raised to fight him off; he released Shippo's small wrist like acid after the boy whined again; his wrist was going purple as well.

"Junichi."

The tutor stared defiantly at his lord now, and the puzzle quickly completed itself in Toga's mind.

"You struck him."

Toga stood back to his full height…it wasn't even a question.

Still the tutor stared as if he had done no wrong.

"You tasked me with teaching the boy. He would not sit still and cease his rambling, so I could d-"

"You were never authorized to punish him!"

The tutor had not been employed in the palace of the West very long, but he knew the western lord never raised his voice. Shippo moved back behind him, holding onto his clothes tighter.

"Sire, the child would not liste-"

"You are dismissed."

Toga did not wish to hear any of what the abusive tutor had to say about Shippo's behavior. His voice did not waver, but the indication of his anger was clear in his stare. The now ex-tutor forced a bow before making himself disappear. Unfortunately, the tenseness still remained in the inu lord's vast office.

"He was saying bad things about my Okaa-san…"

Toga took a deep breath to collect himself, before kneeling in front of the small boy again. The pup covered both his eyes with the sleeve of the arm he now favored, not allowing himself to meet the taiyoukai's gaze. Again, Toga felt the unwanted, yet all-to-familiar feeling of confusion overcome him at the odd action, but didn't have the heart to tell the child to stop. Shippo continued on, since his earlier statement had only brought silence.

"He kept saying that my Okaa was weak and stupid, but I told him that it wasn't true! My Okaa isn't stupid because she already taught me to read and write. I told him that she could slay him a million times over if she wanted to…and then he hit me, and twisted my wrist really hard but…"

He stopped; Toga waited patiently for the boy to continue, but cut in when he realized that he would not.

"But what, Shippo?"

"…But I couldn't cry, because my Okaa says you never should let your enemies see you cry…"

Toga bit back his sixth sigh of the hour, taking a much more gentle hold of the pup's arm and pulling it from in front of his eyes. Sure enough, the boy's eyes were shining with unshed tears just waiting for him to blink out Toga was sure.

"I am not your enemy, Shippo-chan."

He hardly noticed himself that he had addressed the boy so affectionately. A small smile came to his face, and eventually Shippo mimicked him; the tears that had been clouding his vision now trailed down his cheeks, but no others followed. Subconsciously compelled forward, Toga licked at the bruise on the boy's bruised cheek, soothing the boy's immediate, external discomfort and helping along the internal healing. Shippo's small wrist got the same treatment next.

XXXXX

"I am here to retrieve the young prince."

Kagome nodded, standing from her spot on the stacked futon. Sesshomaru was asleep now, so she hoped this hand-off would not be as difficult as the last. She passed him gently to the waiting maid, breath held in the hopes that he would stay asleep.

'_Please, PLEASE let him stay asleep…'_

As expected, Sesshomaru was awake as soon as he was no longer touching Kagome. He whined and reached for her, and she took him back quickly knowing his sounds of discomfort would only progress.

"Okay, okay, see? I've got you."

He quieted, resting his head on her shoulder as she rested him on her hip. Kagome rubbed his back soothingly. Sesshomaru had bonded with her something fierce over the last month; he wouldn't go to any other female if she was around. He was still always ready and willing to go to his father, to which Kagome was thankful; hopefully he hadn't noticed how attached his son had grown to her. She doubted it would make him very happy.

It certainly upset everyone else.

"The prince needs to be changed."

Kagome nodded, avoiding the scrutinizing stare of the woman before her. Was she afraid of the maid-woman? Certainly not. But she was _more_ than tired of being looked at as if she was trash. It had been a month! She had been respectful to everyone she encountered, polite even, and still they looked down their noses at her.

"I will do it."

Kagome said, slipping past the maid who she new would give anything to no longer be bothered with her.

A/N: And that is the end. Next chapter will be more on the last month and, if I stick to my outline, adult bonding time! I didb't want to bore you guys with anymore baby Sesshomaru/Kagome fluff, so I changed it up and threw in some Toga/Shippo time…I thought it was pretty cute! Anyway, the first three pages of chapter 10 are drafted, so that should be up pretty soon. Please review! Please please please PLEASE!

P.S: this is offiacially the longest chapter so far, and since I'm sure there are a few people confused with the HUGE gaps in story here, Kagome's memories of the last month will hopefully fill them in (next chapter). Have faith and me!

P.S.S: REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Guess whose back? That's right, Slim Shady! Ok, bad joke. I'm so sorry for abandoning you guys for so long! I dislocated a finger about 3 weeks ago :/…I guess all my muse was in that finger too. But, it's back and ready to roll! I hope you like what it came up with.

Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue.

Chapter 10: But we roll with it's punches…

It had been an entire month, yes, but Kagome still looked over her shoulder once she was no longer in the safety of her room. She sighed, feeling weaker than she had in quite some time.

"I'm just as much a servant as any of them…"

She mumbled to herself, since no one else was around to hear. Sesshomaru had heard her, but she hardly feared him going around and voicing her opinions- even if he could talk, he was practically glued to her side whenever his father was unavailable. As expected, the baby only blinked curiously up at her; he had been resting in the silence before, but he liked the sound of her voice just as much. Kagome smiled down at him, rubbing his back in a soothing manner. She actually spoke to him this time-

"That's right, little man, I'm just another servant. I'll be gone once you don't need me anymore."

Her voice was excited merely to entertain the pup, but even she had to admit that the sad words sounded odd in her tone of voice. Almost as if in agreement with her current train of though, Sesshomaru pressed both his hands over her lips, a whine that she had recognized as one of annoyance slipping past his lips. Kagome giggled.

"Oh you…"

She whispered, blowing raspberries on his palms.

XXXXX

Kagome stared down at the many characters on the scroll that sat in her lap, not absorbing any of the information. Out of a (very recently developed) nervous habit, she rubbed her neck…the pressure of Hatsu's hands still lingering in her mind.

:FLASHBACK:

Kagome followed behind the taiyoukai lord quickly, but made sure to stay at a safe distance; he was obviously not in the best of moods, and for once since they had met, it was because of someone's presence other than her own.

Oddly enough, she was rather grateful for that fact, because seeing the Western lord's anger from the outside was an experience.

He was speaking with Lady Hatsu now; she had deduced the woman's name from a conversation he had had with a servant moments ago. He did not shout, but she could feel the rage in his aura, and the cruel clip to his voice gave her chills.

Footsteps neared the door she stood behind, so Kagome dutifully stepped out of the way. Sesshomaru began to fuss in her arms, and her attention was drawn away from the footsteps coming closer. She rubbed the pup's back in an attempt to soothe him, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered the doors sliding open. Still, her attention was completely on Sesshomaru until-

"How dare you bring that monster back into my home!"

Kagome's eyes were immediately on the demoness that stood, restrained, a few feet away from her. The woman's familiar, silver hair moved with an unknown wind, her beautiful face so screwed up with anger that there was no beauty in it at all- only rage.

Now it was Kagome's turn to be stunned into silence.

She thought quickly, hoping to come up with something to reply, when Hatsu suddenly broke into maniacal laughter. It was loud and menacing, and Kagome could feel the tightening in her kimono as Shippo tried to hide himself in it- a habit he frequented when afraid. Sesshomaru's whimpers grew louder to at the crazed guffaws rising from the demoness's throat, and still Kagome had nothing to say.

"What a mistake, Toga. We would have been so much happier without him."

The youkai lord in question appeared from the room now too, and Kagome could not ignore the nag in the back of her mind that was wondering what had taken him.

"Take her to the dungeon. Now."

He did not reply to the woman, did not even look at her, and Kagome could see that this enraged her even more.

"Is she the reason? Her and that beast of a child, Toga? Is she the reason you won't love me!"

Kagome couldn't even fully process what had just been said before her airway was cut off.

She was staring the crazy woman in the face.

There was plenty going on around her at this point as well: Shippo had begun to scream from behind her, Sesshomaru from in her arms. As quickly as the pressure was there, it was gone, as the men had managed to restrain Hatsu once more.

"You found him and brought him back! I see it all in your eyes! You brought the worthless child back. It matters not. Toga loves no one!"

"To the dungeon _now_."

Toga himself spoke up again, making the guards drag Hatsu away even faster. Hatsu's screams were unintelligible now, but there were several things that were completely clear to Kagome by the end of the ordeal.

She had just met Sesshomaru's mother.

The woman was _crazy_.

She thought back to the bit of conversation she had picked up a few minutes ago, the small bit she procured more than enough for her to synthesize that the servants had some loyalty to the insane woman who was just dragged away, and as she noticed the many shocked faces peeking out from hiding, there was one other thing of which she was completely sure.

Her time here was going to be far from enjoyable

:FLASHBACK END:

The laugh that left her at the thought held no mirth. Far from enjoyable indeed. She was a social outcast!

She sighed, her eyes going back to the scroll that sat in front of her, in the hopes of drowning her thoughts in something else.

"Kagome?"

She looked to the door and was sure that her face was reflecting the look of surprise that was on that of her visitor. Of course, her surprise came from the fact that she was still adjusting to him calling her by her name instead of "Miko" all the time. She didn't know what had him so shocked.

"Toga-sama."

She greeted him back with a bow of her head, resisting the hard pressing urge to twiddle her thumbs at the almost tangible awkward.

"You read?"

And since that was certainly not the question she was expecting, she dissolved into giggles. Kagome was sure she looked off her rocker, but was currently too amused to care.

"Why else would I inquire to the whereabouts of the palace library?"

Toga's slack jaw closed with a barely audible click. She had a point, and he did remember Shippo telling him that she had taught him to read.

Shippo.

"A new tutor is required for your son."

Kagome could tell from his facial cues that the thought of this annoyed him, but she prodded anyway. This was her son after all.

"Why?"

XXXXX

She hadn't been able to hear her blood racing in her veins like this since her tachi had been up against Naraku.

Kagome was livid.

"You. Junichi."

The man appeared startled by her voice as he turned, but the sneer that then graced his face had her seeing red.

"You would do well to speak to me with more respect, ningen."

"And you-"

She partnered her opening words with a shove. He had crossed the wrong woman.

"You would do well to never be entrusted with another child's wellbeing, let's not even start on their education! How can you possibly be an educator when you obviously have no brains at all?"

She made to shove him again, but he grabbed her wrists.

"I should have known that boy was being raised by a filthy ningen from the start, and a woman no less. He is weak, and he is weak because of you."

"Wrong!"

Kagome hollered, breaking his grip on her arms and getting her shove in.

"Wrong, you prejudiced bastard. He is a child! One who isn't accustomed to almost having his wrist broken for speaking the truth!"

She shoved him again, this time singeing his chest with her miko energy.

"How dare you lay your hands on my son!"

Junichi reached for his chest, the purifying energy unexpected.

Kagome just continued to let out a months' worth of frustration- to him, and the eyes and ears of the entire palace that she just knew were all tuned up. Good, she wanted everyone to hear.

"It's people like you who are weak. People who hurt youkai children because they have human mothers. People who neglect their duties to youkai children because they have human caretakers as well. You are the weak one! It isn't my fault that I was in the_ right_ place, at the_ right_ time to save both of my pups. Blame your race! The ones who can hear screams miles and miles away! Blame them for leaving the situation alone and making me save the two boys I care for!"

She stared straight into his eyes, not caring that his nostrils flared in obvious anger. They were chest to chest now, Kagome's anger making them the same height. Now she only whispered, just to him, her voice dripping poison.

"And do not dare call me weak. I am stronger than you in every way that counts."

She stepped away from him, allowing herself a deep breath…before her hand sailed back and come forward, colliding with his cheek. Hard.

"How do you like it?"

XXXXX

Maoshi scrubbed at another kimono. Apparently the young prince's stomach had been unusually upset this week. Her thoughts were shared with three other hand maids, who dutifully scrubbed as well. It had been a rather quiet day in the washroom as everyone was engrossed in their own thoughts. And oh the irony, even if they were trying to keep their minds off of her outburst, they were doing _her_ laundry, and their minds strayed to her inevitably.

"So…the Lady Kagome shows her backbone…"

Mai, the oldest on the maid staff, remarked. She flicked her greying hair over her shoulder, stopping her work for a moment to reflect on her own statement. All the other women followed suit.

"I knew I liked her…"

Laughter broke out around the room. Perhaps they all would have to rethink the little miko.

Lady Kagome.

A/N: Kagome took a stand! Hooray for backbones! Oh yeah and, hi! I'm really sorry about how long this took…pinky fingers are actually pretty essential to my typing game I guess. I promise you, though, that I will never make you wait that long for a chapter ever again.

P.S: Sorry if this chapter seemed a little rushed (especially the flashback part), I just really wanted to get it to you guys. How much you say? So much that this chapter wasn't even beta'd…so don't you dare tell me I had to many commas…I did it out of love.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

"Toga-sama?"

He looked to the screen door of his study, finding the miko; the miko and his son, for Sesshomaru rested quietly on her hip.

"Yes, Kagome?"

She slipped quietly into the room, sliding the screen closed behind her. He noted her deep breath, a small tugging at the corners of his mouth at the fact that he was probably _not_ supposed to hear that. Once she considered herself collected, she approached his desk.She stopped in front of it, running her hands over the polished wood, and he waited patiently for her to speak. Well…almost patiently.

"Kagome-"

"I heard that Junichi had fined you…had fined me…for assaulting him."

She bit her lip as she locked eyes with him, and, being so much of what she called an "open book"- a phrase that he had been unfamiliar with and required further explanation-, he could clearly see the fear that swam in his gaze.

"He did."

He did not miss her sigh of defeat.

Kagome mentally kicked herself over her stupidity. At the time, the time being hearing that that…no good bully of a man had harmed her son, she had been seeing red. Confronting him was the only option! But she certainly hadn't been thinking about any repercussions. She sighed, looking to the silver-haired baby who rested his head on her shoulder, her thoughts immediately shifting to his father.

She and Toga had developed somewhat of a friendly relationship, if one could even go that far. He was the Lord of the Western Lands. She was only a nanny. But the conversations they had…Kagome hid her small smile in Sesshomaru's hair at the thought. She supposed he only talked to her because she was the only other being in the shiro with any formal education. Kagome shook off that thought; his advisor was certainly educated, so, correcting herself, that just made her the only person in the shiro with an education that rivaled _his_.

Heat rose to her cheeks as she remembered the first time they had actually spoken:

Sesshomaru's sleeping pattern had been exceptionally erratic that day, and whatever time he spent awake he was in an extremely fussy mood. Mai had said he was just being clingy; getting upset because Kagome wasn't with him all of the time. In other words, Sesshomaru was experiencing separation anxiety- which had ended up being the truth. Kagome knew that in human children, this didn't start until around month six, and she articulated this to Mai in so many words. Mai was quick to reassure her again, though, telling her that this was perfectly normal; inu youkai pups develop twice as fast as human babies.

As he slept, she snuck away to the library hoping for at least an hour of peace. There she encountered the western lord, in all his insanely preoccupied glory. But, being empathetic by nature, she found herself asking him what had him in such a state of worry and frustration. Originally, he had blown off her question, but by some change of heart he ended up revealing his unrest with the proposals for trade from other territories, specifically those of the north.

She didn't contribute much; she expressed her agreement on his apprehension, and told him to proceed in whatever way he though would benefit his own kingdom first. He seemed surprised that she could even keep up at all, but yet she remained an open ear for an educated opinion. Sesshomaru's nap had them talking for nearly two hours without notice, Maoshi having to come and retrieve Kagome because the young prince had awakened for his evening meal.  
>And that was two weeks ago! Since then, they had talked several times, becoming more comfortable with the other with every conversation.<p>

_'Gah!'_

Kagome broke her own train of thought swiftly.

_'What's the use of reminiscing!'_

She spied the fine itself written neatly on a piece of parchment near the corner of his desk.

_'I'm not getting paid here, so I'll never pay that off…'_

She spied the western lord, who had also cut his eyes to the document.

_'…He'll just go back to hating me and-'_

"Junichi was contacted this morning. I sent a man to tell him he would be receiving no such payment."

Kagome knew her mouth was gaping by the smirk that appeared on his face.  
>"I sent another man to tell him he would be arrested for soliciting the shiro again."<br>He continued, pulling a laugh from her.

"Was that truly necessary?"

She questioned, finding no real truth in her own words, the thought of all the embarrassment Junichi must have felt as the messengers barged into whatever town he had taken refuge in, successfully earning him the attention of everyone, only to tell him less than good news absolutely making her day! She laughed this time.

Toga felt his breath catch in his throat at the sound, an almost overwhelming warmth spreading through him suddenly. He shook off the unknown and unwelcome feeling for now.

"Why did you do it", Kagome asked finally; she had been browsing the shelves of his study for more reading material- he smirked, remembering how quickly she was tearing through his library.

"What Junichi did was…unforgivable. Unfortunately, he is much too narrow-minded to even have the sense beat into him,"

He noticed her blush at that one, before she buried her face in the top of Sesshomaru's head once more to hide her pink-tinted cheeks.

"I…"

Toga stopped, his speech faltering at the sight of her. Dammit, what was _wrong_ with him?

"You saved my son…it was the least I could do. I will forever remain in debt to you."

Kagome almost snorted for his point was obviously debatable; he had given her and her son a home with three meals a day and was providing her son with an education in his youkai gifts that he otherwise would not have gotten. She chose to keep quiet about it though, savoring the closest thing she had ever gotten, and was probably going to get, of a 'thank you'.

"You are a very sweet man, Toga."

She was gone before he could reply.

XXXXX

Kagome lay awake, the untamable thoughts of the day swarming around in her head. The sun had set long ago, and she hadn't had dinner either; she simply returned to her room after settling Sesshomaru and checking on Shippo one last time. She regretted not going to tuck him in after he came back for dinner, but Shippo- like all other inus it seemed- was very curious about everything. And almost as if not all of his fox-like nature had disappeared, Shippo was a very persuasive child. And she was just horrible at keeping secrets! Kagome knew that he would have somehow come to the root of her ever busy thoughts, finding none other than his current idol.  
>She groaned, pulling a pillow over her head, trying to get her thoughts off of the inu lord. She squeezed the pillow down harder around her ears, for she could hear his voice in her head…the same, silky baritone she had been hearing for weeks now reverberating on the walls of her skull, whispering words she was certain she had never heard from him, or any other man, until-<br>Kagome sat up quickly, throwing the pillow away from her person as if it had burned her; what a coincidence that her skin felt red hot. She sighed, running her hand through her thick tresses.

_'Well, there's no denying the sexual attraction…'_

She thought, and right she was. Of course, Toga did have a lot going for him; he was tall and muscular, but not with the type of muscles you saw on bulky men,

_'Men that are usually over-compensating for lacking quality elsewhere.'_

Kagome noted, he was lean. Every muscle and joint and nerve came together perfectly, creating a form that could not be described in any other way but his name alone. And then, there was still his face, and he was certainly not lacking in that field either; his eyes were endless, melting pools of gold, perfectly symmetrical, and rimmed with the long eyelashes she found on most boys and men. His nose sat just as perfectly between his eyes, not one flaw to it either, and the lips that lay below were perhaps the most-

"Ugh!"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.  
>She would stay for Sesshomaru's sake, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Fate was screwing with her again, tempting her with something she couldn't have.<p>

XXXXX

He admitted to himself that he was probably at fault for this; he hardly spent time with his son as it were.

"Sesshomaru."

He whispered to his young son, who had been squirming relentlessly since being put into his father's arms. Granted he had calmed significantly since having been in the arms of the old maid, Mai, but he was still obviously unhappy.

He had even called for his mother.

**."Mother".**

His son whimpered again in the inu tongue, more tears rolling down his chubby, striped cheeks. Toga ran his fingers through his son's downy soft hair, not able to do much else for the boy's discomfort while he was in such a state of shock. He wasn't completely sure of Sesshomaru and Hatsu's relationship, because- ever regrettably- he was not as involved in his child's life as he should be, but of what few moments of interaction between the two, he couldn't imagine how his son could have ever bonded with her. She had hated the pup since before he was born because of the burden he was on her social schedule, and afterwards he was born, all she had done was complain. Feeding him was the most taxing of chores, holding him if he cried was a bore and a bother, getting her to hold or watch him at all had been a chore! Toga simply couldn't wrap his head around his son still-

"I'll go retrieve Lady Kagome."

How the quiet old woman's voice had even made it into his mind was a wonder, but once it was there, it stopped all his rushing thughts cold.

Kagome…? His son had been referring to the miko.

This little thought alone must have processed very slowly, for when he came back to himself once more, his son was being lifted from his arms. His arms dropped to his sides.

XXXXX

Was he sad?

Definitely not.

He didn't understand the attachment either. He had grown almost always apat from his parents though, the faces of his mother's maids popping up in his mind where his mother's should be. His father was the only figure in his life that had remained constant, and Toga supposed that was the reason he had bonded with his father so. But Sesshomaru was much different than he…  
>He sighed, continuing to work at the documents that sat in front of him, only half reading the same paragraph of script over and over. He couldn't stop thinking of the way Sesshomaru had calmed almost instantly after she took him into her arms, cooing sweet nothings that both he and she knew the boy couldn't understand, but the sound of her soft voice soothed him all the same. She had come in with a purpose, noting his presence, and actually telling him what the issue was. Sesshomaru was cutting his first teeth…apparently he had been all day.<p>

After that, she moved to another part of the vast nursery, a part more under the cover of shadows, before everything went quiet. Almost everything, for you could still hear the raindrops on the roof, but he had tuned those out long ago; it had been raining all day anyway. Kagome had found a chair as he still stood stock still, his gaze still pointed in her direction. And then a rustle of fabric was followed by a new sound: the constant swallows of his son. The realization of what was occurring had him averting his eyes, even though his vantage point revealed nothing. Toga sighed, trying to find his place again in the proposal that sat before him, but again his mind had other plans for him. It instead chose to rely his emotions in that moment. Sure, he had been embarrassed when it happened, a little caught off guard, but what stood out the most to him from the memory, was the fact that he almost felt as if he didn't…belong there. He had picked up on the "event" rather inadvertently…literally completely by accident, something inside of him had been urging in him to leave. He felt as if he had been intruding on something private. The miko had obviously had it all under control by this point, he noticed, as his son's fluctuating aura calmed steadily, this thought contributing more to his original about being anywhere but there in that moment.

But, something else nagged at the back of his mind:

He hadn't belonged there at the time,

But he wanted to…

If only Hatsu was more like her, he found himself thinking; a warm loving woman to their child like Kagome is to his son. His attachment to her was understandable at this point, as is her own son's. They loved her for loving them, and her affection had never been a question.

His lips twitched at the thought of a miko loving yokai children. So beautiful, the thoughts of how easily she handled his son, and the smile of approval and pride she would send her own when he accomplished something or another...his hand froze.

More things rushed to the forefront of his mind: Toga remembered how Hatsu was pregnant with Sesshomaru, and the memories changed without him noticing to having Hatsu's sour face and complaining to another woman's. Her expressions were soft and loving as a silver-haired boy bounced around her pressing his face to her baby bump. A smile decorated her soft face rightfully, her tan, sun-freckle dusted cheeks glowing- along with the rest of her- with her progressive pregnancy. She laughed lightly as the little boy pressed his face into her growing tummy, and he was also a giggling mess every time he felt his face and hands being nudged.  
>The woman's face turned fully to him and her sapphire eyes closed and her smile widened raising a hand to beckon him closer to the warmth of the picture she and the boy created. As he raised his hand to accept her's, his mind jostled and his hand that was previously writing the infernal paperwork was reaching out in front of him to nothing . His shock was almost his undoing as he realized that the woman's face in his dreams was Kagome and her son Shippo. He dropped his pen ran his hand over his face in frustration.<p>

He had been daydreaming of the little miko Kagome filled with Sesshomaru instead of Hatsu, something that had never crossed his mind before. He appreciated what she had done for he and his son, and he enjoyed having conversation with her, but for his subconscious to form such a ludicrous suggestion...it baffled him. And he knew from being educated on the matter and through direct experience; getting a female pregnant would require-

Toga slammed away from his desk and stood quickly, the train of his thoughts giving rise to his inner beast's arousal.

"Toga-sama?"

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice.

How could he have forgotten she was here?

"Toga,"

She whispered, walking over to him, dropping the honorific. Whether she had meant to do it, or she had just forgotten, the personal implications of his name without the added honorific had his beast‒ who was creeping farther toward the surface‒ purring, his vision going red.

"Are you alright?"

Kagome hadn't really talked to him in two days. Granted, he hadn't been avoiding her, they just hadn't been talking…since that night in the nursery.

"Toga, if I upset you a few nights ago when I-"

Whatever thoughts she had in her head dissolved immediately at the feel of his lips on hers. She hadn't even seen him cross the distance between them.

A/N: And that's it. Not a real cliffhanger (cause I didn't want to die today). I'm sorry this has taken so long though. As I'm sure you've noticed, I'm really bad at deadlines. I'm a student first, so the next chapter will get here when it gets here. Really super special thanks to Wicken25 and ThePandaHat. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I really appreciate what you did to help me, and for other people that contributed, (Ken, kate, Mizuki, etc.) I haven't forgotten about your suggestions and they will probably be used in the future. Please keep reviewing and giving me your suggestions though! I really love them!


	12. Chapter 12

Hello again!

Remember when I said I would replace the old A/N with the real chapter eleven? Well, I did. In doing so, though, I found out that it doesn't re-send any alerts, so this "chapter update" was in part to tell you to go back and read chapter eleven. If you haven't noticed, this isn't chapter twelve. I won't be replacing anymore since it doesn't send out a new alert for you…alert people, so when it say "Chapter 13" its really going to be chapter twelve, and so on and so forth.

This note is also to mention a few extraordinary people:

Crazy2000 – who sent me a private message with an awesome suggestion that will hopefully find its way into the next chapter or two.

ThePandaHat – who also private messaged me with the idea of Sesshomaru refusing Toga, or simply preferring Kagome instead. Panda was almost a co-writer in my opinion. Thank you so much.

Wicken25 – thank you so much for everything. Wicken was responsible for Toga's pregnant Kagome fantasy (and you guys better have enjoyed it as much as I did). Also pretty much a co-writer for chapter eleven.

Mizuki-Neko – Thank you so much for your response. I do now have a "fight" scene for them planned, and I will be messaging you in the future just to make sure I get full permission to utilize your plot bunny.

Ken'ichi-Y – thank you so very much for your response. Even though I didn't use your idea in the last chapter, I really liked it and appreciated it and I hope you will allow me to expand on it in future chapters.

Kate – Thank you so much for your response, even though it didn't get used in this chapter. If all goes well though, Toga and Kagome will be together sooner or later. Please don't stop sending in suggestions whenever you want though.

Ginger – Thank you so much for responding. I didn't use too much interaction with the children in this chapter, except for the occasional Sesshomaru, but Shippo and Sesshomaru (however unknowingly) are going to be bringing out the big guns soon.

Thank you so much everyone who responded to my distress call. Unfortunately, I probably won't ever flat out ask you guys for a situation again, but I have no problems of sticking in any good ideas if they fit! No problem at all! You guys are all amazing, and your support is really the only thing that keep me coming back…if you really have read all the way till the end of this, you deserve a cyber hug.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING! And please don't be afraid to give me criticism; just be tactful and polite about it and I won't ignore you, and hopefully the mistakes you see will improve.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, guys. Surprised?

Chapter 12: Every single one of them…

Her shocked gasp gave him ample opportunity, but still he waited for her to collect herself, sweeping his tongue teasingly over her bottom lip to ask for permission instead of diving in. Her lack of protest to that had him exploring her mouth at a moment's notice, his hands settling on her waist to tug her closer to him. Touga felt her hands settle against his chest, but she hdid not push him away, so he continued on. Kagome's eyes drifted shut, her skin tingling, and her fingers grabbing at the fabric of his haori.

The kiss was desperate; desperate, passionate, and driven completely by lust. Common sense was being avidly ignored by both adults, as they continued to kiss like it was going out of style. To anyone looking on, it was obvious that the need to breathe would be the only thing to break their more intimate contact.

"Touga…"

Kagome gasped, as he pulled back from her, only to begin trailing kisses down her jaw, and then her neck. A low rumble built in his chest as he came upon the most sensitive spot on her neck, his growling growing stronger as she gasped again. The breathy sound had Toga gripping tighter to her hips, his fangs raking over the evenly-tanned skin at her throat. He growled, feeling the same fangs elongating, the urge to bite her - to mark her - overwhelming. Unexplainable and unwarranted, but overwhelming none the less.

"My lord?"

It was Kagome that was back to herself first, her passion-filled mind quickly cleared at the sound of the foreign voice. It only took for her to apply a small amount of pressure on the taiyoukai's chest to have him disengaging from her just as well.

"What is it, Kiyo?"

Toga replied, after shaking his head to clear it; his voice, however, was not as clear as he would have appreciated. What on earth was he thinking? He had barely known the miko two months, only recently even finding any sort of companionship with her, and now he was assaulting her sexually?

Well, she hadn't refused him, so he could forgive himself for the last mentioned personal grievance, but still he wrestled with the thought of how easily he was overcome by his desires – desires of which the root themselves was unknown!

"The captain of the border patrol…he seeks audience with you, my Lord."

"Send him to me."

The servant, Kiyo, left without another word, and as the room lapsed into silence, the awkward tension rose to power.

"You will not speak of this."

Kagome winced at the harshness of his tone, though a small part of her had expected his behavior.

"Choosing not to speak of it isn't going to reverse the fact that it did."

Touga did not honor her retort with a response, only narrowing his eyes at her in annoyance.

"But it will certainly make it easier to forget. Not a word of it, miko."

XXXXX

"My lord, The lord of the South, Kirei is sending soldiers this way. A group of them were sighted this morning steadily encroaching on the lands nearest to the northern border when they were caught and driven back."

"And their reason for this?"

Toga had been staring out of a window, only half of his attention devoted to the captain of his border patrol, but he turned to look at the man that stood on the other side of his desk when his question was met with silence. The taiyoukai waved a hand, a clearly annoyed expression now marring his features, urging a reply from the man.

"Well, my Lord…that was the odd thing…the reason that I requested to see you. They gave no reason. They simply crossed back over the northern border and into the most east part of the northern lands themselves. But they said nothing…they just stood there."

Toga looked back to his window now, dismissing the soldier with another wave of his hand. Still, he saw nothing of the lush fields, his mind working much to fast to take them into any sort of account. It was not the fact that the soldiers his guard had told him of did not speak that put him off, for that could be perfectly explained away by them having the sense not to incriminate themselves. Incriminate themselves further, that is, since the western lands was already enemy territory.

It was that fact that had Touga, vexingly, unnerved. Kirei was sending men into his lands _through_ the north; also enemy territory. There were undoubtedly much easier ways for his soldiers to have gotten into the west – patrol would still have found them and pushed them back, but still much easier ways indeed. The first, and certainly the easiest, would be crossing the border that they shared!

And why else would he make a roundabout trip through the north unless he had business - of the illegal variety - there as well.

Kirei was planning something, and knowing the panther demons ways as well as he did? Touga knew nothing good was in store for him.

XXXXX

And having not appreciated being told what to do _any bit at _all, Kagome most certainly did tell the tale of how the sexual tension between her and Touga came to its head. But the Kami were not with her today – apparently they were on the western lord's side in the matter. Did they not even take into account that she had waited an entire **day** to get it off her chest? Kagome glared at Mai as she laughed.

"It isn't funny!"

She crossed her arms like a petulant child, resisting the urge to stomp her foot as well. Mai dabbed at the tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh but it certainly is, little one. Why you two are no better than a randy, newly-mated couple."

"I resent that…"

Kagome mumbled, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as the older woman continued to laugh at her plight. Sesshomaru whimpered from his bassinet- which Kagome noted he was getting much too big for- and she went quickly to attend. Half awake, Sesshomaru kicked his legs in frustration, reaching for her with the fist he didn't have in his mouth, and Kagome lifted him with a coo. She realized his need for a changing, and moved to remedy that issue before he could really wake up into his discomfort.

Maoshi, the granddaughter of her older tormenter, handed her a clean diaper with a shy smile.

"Thank you, Maoshi, my only _friend_."

Unfortunately, Kagome found her comment, which had been directed at the older maid, did not have the desired effect. Again, much to her chagrin, Maoshi laughed.

"Come, little one, don't be upset because I speak the truth."

"It's not the truth! What Toga and I have is nothing! We have nothing!"

She didn't look up at her, busying herself with changing Sesshomaru instead. She moved quickly and methodically, wanting nothing more than to separate herself from the situation as the tension cut thickly through the air in an almost suffocating way. The room was quiet now, Mai finally realizing that perhaps she had pushed the young woman too far.

"Kagome, child,"

With a wrinkled hand to the younger woman's chin, Mai lifted Kagome's gaze to her own.

"I did not mean to offend. What you and Touga have is special-"

"We have nothing."

Kagome tried to assert again, because it was obvious the old woman wasn't listening the first time she said it. Unfortunately, it seemed again that her words went nowhere.

"The fact that you think that alarms me, Kagome. You…you are the mother of his son, just as he is the father of yours. Besides that, Touga-sama is certainly easier on the eyes than most. And, Kagome, you are one of the most beautiful young women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. "

Kagome sighed through her teeth, biting her lip. Mai tutted, pinching her cheek to make her stop.

"Don't think on it too much, child, please. Just let things happen as they should."

XXXXX

"You are hiding?"

Shippo jumped in surprise, almost falling out of the tree he had climbed into, having not noticed the taiyoukai that had approached him until now. Touga chuckled, making his own way up to the branch the boy sat on in one easy jump.

"I'm not hiding."

And judging from the look the pup was giving him, he surmised that he wasn't going to get any other answer either. Still, Touga prodded; something inside of him very displeased with the unhappy expression on the boy's face.

"I don't know how my guards didn't find you. You aren't particularly well hidden at all."

"Hey! I said I wasn't hiding…"

Shippo challenged his statement just as the inu lord expected him to, and Touga was glad to see a smile on the little boy's face as well.

"Besides…I couldn't get any higher."

Touga chuckled, gathering the boy into his arm before bounding up to the highest branch that could support the both of them. He made sure to hold the boy steady, with hands on his waist, as he animatedly took in his new view of the palace grounds.

"Shippo,"

The excited pup turned silver eyes, much like his own, to him, cocking his head to one side in question. Touga chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Your mother was looking for you."

And the boy's face fell. His happy expression dissolved so quickly Touga was immediately alarmed.

"Okaa-san…has Maru-chan now. She doesn't care about me anymore."

"Shippo,"

Touga hooked his finger underneath the boy's chin, lifting his identical golden gaze to his own.

"That could not be further from the truth."

The little boy bit his lip, an expression Toga recognized from the miko of the moment. He chuckled, tapping the boy's chin with his thumb, thus getting him to stop – it wasn't a good habit.

"Sesshomaru is much younger than you. He needs attention twenty of the twenty four hours of the day at least."

Of course he was exaggerating, quite a bit, but the way Shippo rolled his eyes was much to amusing for him to regret doing so.

"And,"

Toga began again, pulling the boy down to a sitting position in his lap.

"Your tutor has told me at least twice since you asked for combat training how tired you are when you are finally free for the day. And I myself can hardly say that I don't believe him – last week you almost fell into your food!"

Shippo laughed with him, leaning into the taiyoukai.

"But that was just last week though. I know our basics so training isn't that hard anymore-"

"Your mother advised Tekken to slow your lessons. When you came to dinner so overtired she was very worried for you."

The tension, that Touga didn't really know the boy held until he let it go, drained from the little boy's body quickly as he became hopeful.

"Really?"

Shippo turned to look over his shoulder, his questioning gaze. Touga smiled down at the boy.

"Of course, Shippo."

XXXXX

Kagome kissed her son's head.

She smiled; perhaps she would have to start referring to him as her eldest now.

She was shocked when her frantic searching had been put to an end by the western lord himself; Shippo snoozed unaware on his shoulder. But the shock of her life had come in the western lord telling her that her son was having doubts in her love for him.

She wiped away the tear that was trekking silently down her cheek now, but still Shippo whimpered, his senses acute to her sadness even in his sleep.

"You silly boy, how could you ever think such a thing?"

She ran her fingers through his chopped silver hair, raining kisses over his face. She had cleared that one up very quickly, hating that she had to be so stern with him in order to fully engrain in his mind just how much she loved him. But it needed to be done.

"I will never _ever_ stop loving you."

Shippo snuggled closer to his mother subconsciously; he did not wake though.

No, she was alone again, and unfortunately the dead calm aloud her thoughts to run unchecked at a mile-a-minute.

A/N: Am I aware that I left the kiss issue very much unresolved and Touga consequently looking like an asshole? Yes, yes I am. I wanted this one just…out. There was a lot of dialogue in this one and not much substance, but the next one (that will be out later today) is mostly thoughts and stuff. Eh, I hope it wasn't too bad, and even if it was, I WANT YOU TO REVIEW!...as usual…

P.S: This chapter was unbeta-ed because I felt bad for not having this up earlier, but AubergineInk is a very amazing beta, and friend. If you guys should ever get the pleasure of meeting someone like her…consider your bucket list completed…


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of its characters.

A/N: Gah! I know it was late (by like a month), but its here. I apologize for its sucky-ness though. And its pretty short, so hopefully it won't take a month or two for the next chapter. And there is a poll to take on my profile…DO IT! SHOUT OUT TO RubyJeweler, my 100th reviewer!

Chapter 13: And the scars that they bring…

He had kissed her. She had kissed him back. And since she was being honest with herself, Kagome had to acknowledge the fact that they had almost gone further. She sighed, easing herself down into the indoor spring until the water rose to her chin. Only when she was alone did she allow herself to throw a pity party…and what a sad, sad party it was turning out to be.

Sitting up, she stared at her reflection as the water calmed and allowed it to come into view. She snorted; it was obvious he didn't hold any type of feeling for her by the way he had just dismissed both her and the incident, but what about her could have made him act so rashly? She was nothing special. Her skin was tanned irreversibly dark from the hours she spent out in the sun searching for Shikon shards, and freckles dusted her nose and her cheeks now also. She was a little on the short side, only standing at five foot six. She poked herself, grimacing at the feel of the softness of her belly.

He was the Western Lord! He was…perfect! So perfect, that "perfection" was literally in the name of his heir! He was majestic and beautiful, and she was the ningen nanny to his son. That had to be why he had rejected her so harshly…she was nothing like Sesshomaru's pale-faced, tall, slender birth mother…

XXXXX

Even the old maid servant, Mai, had noticed he was at least _a little_ attracted to her.

Her hair was a sea of inky blackness that he imagined was as soft as silk even though it was so thick. His skin was naturally tanned, but hers spoke of the hours she spent out in the sun. Doing what? Only the Kami knew. And even still, combined with her bright cerulean blue eyes, she looked even more exotic. If anything, the adorable smattering of freckles on her face were the only thing that really kept him – and any other man – from jumping her; their subtle innocence toned down her sensuality just enough. She was shaped like a woman should be…like a mother should be…

She was caring and compassionate, the loving caretaker of two inu youkai pups, and what was he? Sure he had status and strength, but he was cold and guarded…nothing like the man a woman like her deserved. He would keep her away, and when Sesshomaru didn't need her anymore, he would release her to find something better…someone better.

XXXXX

So he had been right; not addressing this kiss had made it lots easier to ignore, and what with all she had to do every day with the pups, Kagome did find it slowly moving to the back of her mind. Even if she had wanted to discuss it, the Western Lord had been making himself scarce around the palace in the two weeks that had passed since – he was much too preoccupied as of recent to do much of anything outside of his study. In fact, the only reason Kagome knew he was still alive and _in_ the palace, minus the obvious lack of uproar a sudden departure would cause, was Shippo. Apparently, the Western Lord had been helping him with his combat training every so often.

Kagome giggled as Shippo went on and on about his day, watching with what she hoped looked like rapt attention; unfortunately, even she had to admit – even if only to herself – that when Shippo really got going keeping up with him could be a challenge.

"And then, Kaa-san,"

She made a point to smile at him then, since she knew _he_ had made a point of addressing her now specifically in order to see if she was still paying attention. She mused that he had learned that trick from when she used to come back from the present and complain of her teachers using a similar tactic on her and other students they suspected were dozing off.

"I'm listening to you, Shippo-chan."

She assured; he beamed at her, running through his training circuit one more time for her.

Before –

"Surely Touga knows the repercussions of hiring attractive maid staff."

Kagome shot up from her spot on the soft grass at the sound of the cold voice behind her. She quickly closed the gap between herself and Shippo, conversely separating herself from the stranger, and tugged her son behind her.

"Who are you?"

She questioned the youkai male that now stood before her, the lack of real separation making her very uncomfortable. And the sound of his dark chuckle sent cold chills down her spine in a way that nothing had since…Naraku.

This was a bad man.

"You asking me who I am? Know your place, onna."

He ended his words with his face in a tight sneer. Despite the reasonably warm weather in the garden clearing, Kagome found her entire body struck cold as the strange man raked his eyes over her form. She flared her reiki outward in an attempt to ward him away from her, but he didn't even seem effected. Her miko powers also allowed her to sense youkai energy in her surrounding area, but even as it was, nearly blanketing both him and the entire clearing, she could feel nothing.

It was like he wasn't even there.

"Sesshomaru,"

After he spoke the pup's name, Kagome clutched him closer to her chest.

"I received the announcement of your birth not but six months ago. How could you have grown so big?"

Realization dawned on her as she concluded that he was talking to Shippo, the same realization making her pull him further behind her.

"Ah, but of course, you have no daiyoukai stamp, making you no son of Touga."

Shippo whimpered, clutching so tightly to his mother that his small claws pricked her skin.

"At least…not a legitimate son.

The evil smile that claimed his expression rendered her completely still in fear. With Sesshomaru in her arms she could do next to nothing. She couldn't remember terror like this, and she could hear her own breathing become labored as he advanced on her.

"Do not misunderstand me though, _miko_,"

He growled, stopping not a foot from her.

"On my own terms, now, I will gladly introduce myself."

He laughed at the war between confusion, fear, and anger in her expression.

"I am-"

"Kirei!"

Kagome gasped, tearing her eyes away from her aggressor, a sense of relief flooding her body.

'_Touga-sama.'_

Shippo ran from behind her and gripped the newly arrived daiyoukai by the leg, and one look from the Western Lord had her moving quickly behind him as well.

"Are you alright?"

He whispered. Subconsciously, Kagome noted that these were the first words she had heard from the Western Lord in almost a month.

"Fine. We're fine."

She replied, clutching at his haori. He nodded stiffly.

"Get inside. I'll come find you."

She made a sound to assure that she understood, feeling safe enough now to turn her back on "Kirei", as she now knew him, now that Touga was there.

"Well, she is certainly more delectable than Hatsu."

Touga was snarling, really challenging himself with not cutting down the intruder that stood before him on the spot.

"Never speak of her like that again."

His tone dripped with acid similar to the kind he could summon at will.

"What are you doing in my lands?"

A/N: And so it ends with the million dollar question! Meh…I told you it was going to be bad. Review please, and feel free to leave a critique (it's pretty deserved, I think).


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. Thus far only Mai, Maoshi, and Kirei are my own creation.

A/N: Ha. No one remembered Kirei from chapter 12?

Chapter 14: Scars do fade with time though…

"Are you sure, Kaa-san?"

Kagome sighed, smiling down at her son.

"I am as sure as I can be, Shippo-chan."

She kneeled in front of him.

"Do you really think that man could hurt Touga-sama?"

After thinking it over, relaying the incident in his mind, Shippo smirked and shook his head no frantically. Kagome covered the urge to cry out in defeat with a giggle; that infernal smirk was contagious! Just when she had been praying to the Kami that the gene had skipped her little Sesshomaru, the blasted facial expression proved that it could be caught by mere association!

"Nothing can hurt, Touga-sama!"

He cheered, going back over to play with Sesshomaru who – Kagome smiled – was laying on his stomach supporting his own head now, gurgling as Shippo made faces at him. The smile on her face faded slowly as her gaze traveled to a window that overlooked the palace gardens. It hadn't been long since Touga had sent her and the children away, but still she worried, and not for the next-to invincible daiyoukai, but for herself. How could she not have sensed that man? He was standing damn near right next to her, and she had been none the wiser.

She held her hands up in front of her face. Was she getting…weaker?

"Maoshi?"

The meek, young inu youkai looked up from her spot by the children. She had followed Kagome into the nursery because – unknown to the miko herself – Touga-sama had tasked her with assisting the miko when needed.

"Does the palace have a dojo?"

XXXXX

"Do you treat all your guests this way, _dog_?"

Touga smirked sadistically, advancing on the shorter, neko youkai.

"Only those who intrude, and then have the nerve to disrespect me, Kirei."

"Oh, relax, Touga, I am only gracing your desolate lands with my presence for the semi-centennial meeting of the cardinal lords."

Touga began snarling again, circling the weaker man like the prey his instincts demanded he recognize him as.

"You and I both know that conference isn't for another weeks times."

The current offender of the West, the Southern Lord himself, feigned innocence, twisting his face into an expression that mocked surprise; Touga found himself overcome with an acute feeling of nausea, his loathing of the youkai in front of him actually proving enough to sicken him.

"Well, no reason to go back now, the trip here was five days in itself. Even you can figure out that if I were to leave now and attempt to come back that I would miss a great deal."

The Western Lord emitted a mirthless chuckle that surely would have made a lesser opponent melt in pure fear.

"I'm positive we'd get on without you somehow, considering just how insignificant the Southern kingdom is."

"You deem my lands insignificant because they are not as vast as yours? That only furthers my belief that you're just overcompensating here for where you lack elsewhere..."

The neko lord laughed at his own joke.

"Perhaps the miko can help us determine just who is so insignificant. With beauty like that, I'm certain she…entertains better than Hatsu as well."

Touga could feel his beast thrashing about in its cage, closer to the surface than it had been in at least two or three months' time. He had experienced this when his son had been taken from him, this all-consuming rage that had his vision going red, but this was entirely different; Sesshomaru was his son…who was Kagome to him?

"You. Will. Not. Touch her."

The inutaiyoukai's voice dropped to a new menacing low, his beast finally purring with delight at the slight change that fear brought to his enemy's scent. The neko youkai lord drew back his challenge.

"Just show me to my room."

The neko youkai pushed past him, unintentionally – Touga was sure – dropping a small crystal ball. It rolled carefully to the Western Lord's feet, as if it had wished to be discovered all along. He was actually astonished; he had only ever heard of it.

The power radiating off of the stone was immense, though at the moment it seemed to be dormant, probably because he was at a loss as to how it was used. He did, however, know what it was used for, the realization coming to him as a wave of Kirei's demonic presence settled over the clearing. He smirked, placing the green ball safely within his haori, relaxing now that he had the upper hand once more.

XXXXX

"Okaa…"

Shippo whined, tugging at the back of the yukata she had changed into.

"Why can't I go too?"

Kagome sighed, pressing a kiss the darkening crescent moon on Sesshomaru's forehead – a tender display of affection she saved for the times she was either alone with the baby, or with only Shippo around – as she lay him gently in his crib for the night.

"Shippo-chan, I'm not leaving the palace."

He pouted, an expression she could remember from her first day with him all those years ago; Kagome smiled, ruffling his shining silver locks and giving him a kiss as well; several actually, planning to annoy him so much with the affection that he wanted her to go.

"Stop it, mama!"

Ah, the sounds of a plan working seamlessly. With what little strength he could muster, Shippo pushed at his mother's shoulders until she stopped. He sighed like she had earlier, only his was one of defeat, and decided to negotiate.

"No more than two hours, alright? If the sun has set, you'll know you've been gone too long."

He said in his firmest voice, but his eyes were pleading with her not to stay away for a moment longer.

"Sessho will miss you if you are away too long."

He whispered, sealing the deal; his mother's expression softened as expected as she shook her head with a smile of amusement lighting her features. The pup in question slept on, unbothered by their quiet conversation.

"I swear it."

She whispered.

"No! No more kisses!"

Shippo squealed…she managed to pull him in for another barrage that left them both a giggling mess.

XXXXX

Kagome sighed as she heard the arrow strike the target in the distance; so her archery hadn't failed her. Swinging the bow over her shoulder, she looked down at her hands. A frown marred her face as she felt the familiar hum of her reiki just below her fingertips, for it was truly leaving her with no explanation as to why she couldn't sense the youkai behind her in the garden.

'_Especially if I can still sense him.'_

She mused, moving to return the training weapon to its designated place.

"Why are you watching me?"

She spoke, knowing he would hear her despite the distance that was between them. The daiyoukai landed gracefully landed off of his jump from the third story overlook; the balcony was actually an extension of the war room.

"You left Shippo and Sesshomaru?"

She sighed, hanging the bow on its hook.

'_Sometimes I wonder if he even hears me ask him questions…'_

"With Maoshi, yes."

She turned with the intention of heading back inside to find him standing not half a foot from her; she stumbled back in shock, immediately noticing the red tint to his eyes.

"Touga-sama-"

"I told you I would come and find the three of you after I had finished business."

"Four hours ago you said that, Touga-sama."

Needing something to do to channel her growing annoyance, she went to go retrieve the arrows she had shot.

"You were not supposed to leave them, Kagome. I told you I would-"

"They're fine! Why do you even care how Shippo is, he is no responsibility of yours. And beside that point, what good would I be to them anyway?"

As she went to pull the safely lodged weapon from its spot in the oak when her upper arm was seized and she was spun to face the Western Lord once again; she winced as his grip moved to her wrist. He raised it, pulling her sleeve away and exposing her wound, a growl building in his throat.

"I haven't used a bow in quite some time. It's just from the bow string scraping against my arm."

She gasped as his tongue ran over the inside of her arm, the burning pain dulling to a tingle.

"He is a cardinal?"

Her voice was quiet, she barely even trusted herself to say those few words, but she really needed to know this. He nodded, still licking lazily at her forearm

"Of the South."

She mumbled a 'thank you' as he dropped her arm.

"But his power! He had the power to…_disguise_ his power! How could-"

She went silent as Touga pulled his earlier find from the confines of his robes. Of course, she recognized the glittering stone from her travels with the son of the man that stood before her – unfortunately, her memory of it was vague, but she knew she had seen it.

"This fuyoheki is what allowed him to do so; it allowed him to hide the signature of his youki from you."

The fuyoheki crystal from the mountain Gakusaijin! Naraku had stolen it to hide the location of his heart. She bit her lip as she thought: the mountain demon hadn't been very good at protecting his crystal in the pas…in the future, it wasn't hard to understand how it could have been stolen now.

"But how did you know he was there?"

"His footsteps; no crystal can hide sound."

She nodded understanding, having forgotten about the arrow now.

"You should not doubt your own strength, Kagome. Only allow your enemies to underestimate you, and let it be their downfall, not yours. You are very strong."

Kagome was speechless at the kind words, but even if she had had something to say, the daiyoukai had already turned and began walking away.

As was his usual response to any potential growth in their relationship.

XXXXX

"Good afternoon, Touga-sama."

"Good afternoon, Kagome."

Touga noticed as the miko in his office look warily down at the little boy in her arms, biting her lip; it was obvious she did not wish to wake him. Touga chuckled, going around her to his desk.

"I will not make you leave, Kagome, fear not."

She a sigh of relief, kissing the pup's chubby cheek, before her eyes traveled back to the scroll in front of him. She supposed it was a reasonable fear, because they hadn't been talking as _friends_ since before the…the…and then her mind forced her to remember the feeling of his tongue against her skin as he healed her scrape. Worrying her bottom lip again, she shook her head to relieve it of her thoughts.

Touga paused mid-step, his nose immediately detecting the delectable change in her scent. His beast rattled in its cage, demanding that he go to her, but he shook his head, running his hand over his face in exasperation, to clear the thoughts from his mind.

They were both mature adults and – with the help of their child chaperone – ignoring the growing lust should be simple. They could coexist in the same room. Touga sat at his desk signing document after document until-

"Touga-sama?"

Kagome asked, the moment locked away once more. He met her questioning blue gaze after setting down his pen. She continued.

"How old are you?"

A silver eyebrow arched up into matching silver bangs.

"Seven hundred and sixty-three."

He smirked, watching as the miko's mouth dropped open in shock.

"But, my lord, you don't look a day over-"

"Twenty three? One would hope so. If I truly looked my age, immortality would be no fun at all. In fact, I am the youngest cardinal ever. The others amuse themselves by entertaining the thought that my level is on level with Sesshomaru."

She giggled, before referring back to the scroll in her hand. He hadn't noticed it before.

"But Touga-sama, it only says that youkai are youthful beings able to live for long periods of time. Immortality is never mentioned."

Chuckling, he moved out from behind his desk and sitting on a stack of pillows next to her; Kagome looked away from him, hiding her blush from their closeness.

"Youkai always end up being killed somehow, so true ageless immortality cannot be documented for long."

Kagome gasped, looking his way now.

"Touga-sama! That is a terrible thing to say…such a horrible outlook. Surely youkai like yourself cannot simply be killed…"

Her sentence faded off as she remembered the time she was born in; as she remembered the youkai-less time she was born in.

'_But how can that be? They are so strong…'_

"What do you mean youkai like me?"

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"You are the Inu no Taisho, the strongest demon in Japan, what could possibly bring about the end of you?"

With the topic as morbid as this one, Touga found he could not even fully appreciate the compliment given to him; instead he frowned. He had never thought of his death before. He was immortal, what did he need to think of it for.

"Even daiyoukai like myself have weaknesses."

The scent of her sadness burned at his nose.

"What are you reading about anyway? And why in my office? Did you read all the scrolls in the library?"

He said, hoping to get move past the topic. She beamed, reaching over the child in her arms to the aged parchment lying in front of her.

"I was researching youkai, specifically inu youkai. Mannerisms, pack behavior, even the language, though I don't think it possible to learn a series of barks, yips, grunts, whimpers, and whines from paper."

She handed it to him.

"And no, I have yet to make it through all of the scrolls in the library."

Touga chuckled, a genuine smile lighting his features. Kagome was so struck by the unfamiliar expression from him that she missed his question.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked you what you've learned?"

One look at her told of how happy she was to display her knowledge.

"Well, there are two different type of inu that can take a human form; the silver and the black."

He inclined his head to her, the gesture answering her silent question, proving her correct.

"And what of our mannerisms?"

Kagome cocked her head to the side, causing him to – subconsciously – do the same. She giggled, tugging a lock of his hair that had come loose and interrupted his picture of perfection.

"Inu youkai, no matter the age, are naturally curious."

Touga actually felt heat rising to his cheeks. What was this woman doing to him?

He cleared his throat.

"And our language?"

She sighed, taking the long scroll back.

"I haven't been able to grasp much any of that, but how could anyone?"

Her voice had raised since the beginning of their conversation as she became less conscious of Shippo in her arms. She read from the parchment.

"Low growls from the chest partnered with nuzzling are used to-"

The steady raising of her voice finally passed the threshold for which the boy could remain asleep, and Shippo whimpered, rubbing his eyes as he slowly came awake…even as he fought the action tooth and nail. Touga somehow managed to sneak the pup from her grasp, holding him close and emitting said growl while nuzzling his nose against the boy's temple. Shippo opened his eyes blearily, looking up at the daiyoukai who held him before closing his eyes again. He returned the affectionate gesture before falling back into a fitful slumber.

"Are used to?"

He whispered.

"Uh…"

She referred back to the scroll, her mouth going dry.

"Are used to soothe…to comfort females and pups."

He smiled.

"Very good."

Shippo fisted his little hands into Touga's haori, obviously comfortable right where he was.

"Wow…the description doesn't do you justice."

He chuckled, rearranging the boy as best he could, wrapping him in his moko-moko.

"Why do you wish to know these things about inu youkai?"

She smiled, but it wasn't as bright as before; it had a certain sadness that had him immediately intrigued.

"For Shippo,"

She brushed her knuckles over her son's cheek.

"I wish to know everything I can about inu youkai so as he grows and has questions I will hopefully be able to answer them. Shippo doesn't really…he doesn't really have a father, something else I learned is pretty important, but I don't want him to be any weaker because of that."

It was inevitable; even if the miko knew all there was to know about inu, the boy was still at a disadvantage without a man – youkai or ningen – to offer some guidance. He looked down at the boy in his arms, smiling at the cuteness of his face; with the miko for a mother…alone, he had not been receiving proper training, he would have been next to defenseless in a battle. If he were killed during the miko's lifetime, he knew it would destroy her…and the prospect of the miko so depressed made his blood boil.

"Kagome?"

She was caring for Sesshomaru…

"As long as you stay here and remain a mother to Sesshomaru…I will be a father to Shippo."

The look that passed over her face was unreadable for a moment.

"Touga, I could never ask-"

"You didn't,"

He supplied.

"I offered. It isn't any trouble."

"Arigatou, Touga-sama."

They locked eyes again as she said those words, allowing several things to happen at once.

Touga realized in that moment that his feelings for the woman that sat beside him far exceeded just lust. He was not sure what the feelings the compassionate woman awoke in him were, for he had never felt them for anyone before.

Kagome blushed, similarly unfamiliar with the growing feeling; she had thought herself to have been in love with Inuyasha for a time, but she looked back on it as a simple girlhood crush. This…this was something entirely different.

Touga laid the boy gently on the pillow he had vacated, pulling the miko to her feet as well. It was silent between them for a time; he tucked a stray piece of her own hair behind her ear.

"Touga-sama, I thought that you wanted to ignore it."

He chuckled, pulling her closer to him by her hips.

"You should know by now, Kagome…it is impossible to ignore you."

He was slow this time, and when she made no effort to stop him even after his intentions were loud and clear, he continued on, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. Kagome's arms looped carelessly around his neck, her fingers teasing the hairs at the nape of his neck as his traced changing designs into the small of her back.

Love? Probably not; and if it was, neither party knew enough about the emotion to properly identify it. In the back of her mind, Kagome wondered what was going to happen after this…if he would out right reject her like the last time. How had they even gotten to this point? But with the onslaught of sensation in the forefront coming from the warm, fuzzy feeling being pressed so intimately against this man brought her, the voice was silenced. She could worry about tomorrow tomorrow…in this instant…this was all that mattered.

A/N: I'm not sure I even like the way this chapter ended…eh. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I've decided I'm going to start replying to signed reviews (at least, if they need a reply) so leave me advice, questions, suggestions, all that jazz! 'Til next time!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: (there's another, longer one at the end) Sorry this is about a month and a half late! I really am. Happy belated birthday to me! Oh and, c'mon ff net, blaming stories that are MA instead of M for children that are exposed to the word porn is like…forget the analogy, it's just ridiculous.

Chapter 15: At least to the untrained eye…

"Let her starve then. Her health is no longer any concern of mine."

Kagome shivered at the cold tone of his booming voice, sympathetic of the young servant on the other end of his words. The servant boy was not even at fault for what had the taiyoukai so upset.

Sesshomaru whined from his place – Kagome had fashioned him something like the playpens she remembered for infants and toddlers in the future – and so she went quickly to attend. The pup was very particular to the mood of any space, and the tense, anger tinged feeling of his father's office unsettled him.

"Touga-sama-"

"I've told you how much I hate it when you call me that."

She paused, recalling how he had told her a week or two ago that he didn't like hearing the honorific from her any longer. Sucking in her breath through her teeth, she began again.

"Touga-"

"Not even you can make me believe that you are sympathetic."

She sighed, rocking Sesshomaru until he drifted into a light sleep, his hand tightly fisted in her hair.

"No, not sympathetic. Empathetic?"

He glanced her way, a look that was decidedly annoyed swirling in his golden gaze.

"I'm a miko, Touga. It's in my nature."

He sighed, running a hand over his face in exasperation, standing from his desk. He crossed the room to Kagome in but a few steps, pressing his lips to hers; she responded as if she had expected the intimate gesture, moving a hand to his striped cheek and rubbing her thumb over the uniquely pigmented area. He wound his arms around her small waist, taking in her crisp scent as he kissed her.

"Leave me."

He said after moving away from her again, not soothed by the shared moment. Biting her lip, as she so often did, Kagome left the tense study with Sesshomaru. Touga listened for a moment as her footsteps faded down the hall before sending his fist through the nearest wall. Pulling back his limb, he repeated the action three times more, panting out the rest of his irritation.

Touga knew as soon as Hatsu entered his life that she would be bringing much more trouble with her then she was worth, and for all intents and purposes, he had been correct in his reasoning. But dealing with her had been far simpler: locking her in the deepest dungeon cell and throwing away the key was no obstacle to him.

Kagome: he knew that she was going to be trouble as well. They were of a different species, and compounded upon the fact that she was human, she was a Miko. They were put on this earth to annihilate each other and there kind. Then she rescued and became mother to his son, brought another son to him, and she…she

His fist connected with the wall again, and he left to his private chambers to tend to his own wound as the scent of his own blood reached his nose.

XXXXX

"You are not supposed to be out here."

Kagome spoke, knowing her words would travel to her unwanted visitor no matter how softly she spoke.

"Incorrect, Miko, I have diplomatic privilege and am allowed wherever I please. You mean merely that you do not want me here."

"Yes, I suppose that is true."

The panther youkai lord growled, advancing on her.

"Do not sass me, girl."

He stopped at the prickly sensation that traveled through him the closer he got to her, a sizzling sound accompanying the uncomfortable sensation; he growled, looking down at his blistering skin. He stepped back.

"A barrier?"

He asked, already knowing the answer – and with his acknowledgment of it, the pale blue barrier shimmered and sparked up around her – as he moved back a few more steps to fully free himself from the effects of her powerful reiki.

"Is that your only safety trick, _Miko_?"

"And if it is, how is it any business of yours?"

He ignored her rebuttal, just as she had ignored his earlier, and began circling her now instead. He stopped his pacing in front of her and faced her now instead, a sadistic smile that sent a chill through her body forming on his lips.

"Oh of course, its because of the _baby_ that you won't engage me, right, Miko? Why is he always with you anyway?"

Kagome pressed Sesshomaru closer to her chest, hating that he had even been mentioned by this sinister being.

"I take it you'll soon be asking me how many times I wake up to use the bathroom, right?"

She steered the conversation away from the sleeping pup.

"Again I must tell you not to sass me?"

"Just as I must ask you again what business it is of yours?"

Kagome raised her voice to match his own, ghosting her fingers over Sesshomaru's back as he awoke to keep him calm. And just like that a smile appeared on his face, as he went back to circling her.

"I merely have questions for you

She sighed, knowing he would ask anyway, regardless to whether or not she consented, per say. She was neither obligated to answer anyway.

"So, how was it exactly that you came to reside here? And how did Sesshomaru come to be in your care?"

He had circled back into her line of sight.

"And how on earth have you gotten him to behave so well?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes, but remained silence; she had a feeling that he was no longer only talking about the pup she held close to her. Judging by the mischievous glint in his eye, she knew she was correct, and as he realized she had inferred just what he was hinting, he rerouted again.

"With all the crying, and needing to be held all of the time, and fed, and-"

"I'm not sure how much you know about babies, but they all behave the exact same way to a degree."

He chuckled.

"Of course, Miko, I have a son of my own, I know what they are like young. But to a degree, you said. It was to my understanding that the _perfect_ son had a thing for creating _perfect_ headaches."

He stepped forward, and the look on his face made it obvious to Kagome that he had forgotten the barrier she had erected around herself; it shimmered and sparked to life as it was agitated again, and the sure fire sound of his skin sizzling again had him backing away with a grunt.

"And just how would you know anything of Sesshomaru's temperament? Do you have an inside servant reporting on how many times he cries for a changing?"

He chuckled, flicking the peeling skin off of himself with fast-healing youkai ease.

"Anyway, I suppose I should be getting ready for the evening meal, right?"

She barely hid her confusion as the panther lord walked slowly away from her, and as his chuckling reached her ears again, she feared just how much truth her little joke held.

XXXXX

"What does Hatsu know of you?"

Kagome stood her ground, braving his dubious but amused expression.

"She birthed my son, therefore she knows what's beneath my clothing…"

He let his voice trail off catching sight of her dead-pan expression.

"You meant beside the obvious?"

"Yes, Touga-sama, that is what I meant."

"Well then nothing. Believe me when I tell you I spent as little time with her as possible."

She did, but something still nagged at her. She was silent for a time, and Touga looked back down to the documents in front of him. It seemed there was never an end to his paperwork.

"I want to speak to her."

His eyes flashed up to her.

"No."

His tone did not leave room for argument…or so he thought.

"Just let me talk to her for a few minutes, I…I just want to know how she could detach herself from Sesshomaru so. I read in my research that the bond between inu mother and child was cemented while the pup resided in the womb."

She said as smoothly as she could. Toga nodded, standing as the words had begun to blur on the page anyway.

"Funny things…emotions. Like nervousness; your heart rate picks up slightly, as does you breathing, and you perspire slightly, so slightly that even you would not know it."

Curious as she was as to where this pop lesson was going, Kagome still feared where it was going to lead.

"You just lied to me."

He said calmly, looking her dead in the eye, chuckling in amusement.

"There's that nervousness again-"

"Okay fine, your nose and ears work, and you would make a fabulous detective."

She groaned as he looked at her confused, not understanding the reference.

"My reasons for speaking to her are my own. Woman to woman."

"I am not allowing it."

Sucking her teeth like a petulant child, she mumbled:

"So this is the straw that breaks the camel's back…"

He looked confused again, and it only fueled her growing anger.

"What is your problem with me, Touga?"

He scoffed.

"I have no problem with you, Kagome. Well, aside from the fact that you just blatantly lied to me."

"Oh please! Every room that I've entered that you have also been in immediately fills with tension! What- and then you just want to ignore it by kissing me-"

He snorted.

"As if you don't consent to them."

"That is _NOT_ the point! You have concubines for that."

Her breath caught in her throat as it seemed she had misunderstood their ever confusing relationship, and just how non-existent it was between all the confusing clouds of smoke made real by passion filled kisses. Her hands shook in anger as she heard him mumble something about not kissing concubines.

"And if you confused me for one of them, we are back to square one."

She all but screamed in exasperation as the same look of inu curiosity appeared on his regal face in response to her reference, taking her leave.

Touga had no response for her; he had been content with their "relationship" right where it was, it wasn't complicated – well, everything was complicated with her. He said nothing as she took her leave, for he had nothing to say in response, and he would certainly offer no apology.

"You are not permitted in the south wing at all, Kagome, and certainly not down into the dungeons."

From her place a few steps away from the door, Kagome wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye, and a smile spread across her face.

Beneath the south wing. At least something had been gained of that conversation.

XXXXX

"How is my son, _miko_?"

Kagome sighed at the sound of the sneer that had become familiar, from the mouth of the visiting youkai lord.

"I have real food, Hatsu. I know you haven't been eating because they haven't been giving you anything more than scraps."

The once beautiful, still quite pretty even though she was covered in about six layers of grime, young woman, crawled towards the spell-protected bars.

"They give me the food that they give prisoners."

Hatsu made to snatch the tray, reaching through the fashioned hole for food purposes, but Kagome stepped out of her reach. The inu demoness growled, but Kagome ignored her threat.

"I have questions for you, Hatsu."

The youkai woman, who actually looked younger than Kagome in her emaciated state, giggled, but it was a sick, hollow sound.

"I don't hear much down here, but I did hear about your confrontation with the tutor. I'm glad I got to see your backbone for myself. I'll answer your questions, miko."

Kagome slid the tray into the small confinement, allowing it to be taken from her hands. She allowed the demoness a moment to eat, amused with her table manners that were only slightly better than Shippo's.

"On second thought, you don't even have to ask any questions, Ka-go-me. I know you want to know why I gave my own son to death,"

She almost felt the heat of Hatsu's gaze.

"Or tried to at least."

Kagome nodded, knowing that even in the barely lit cell area, Hatsu saw the gesture.

"It's just!...all he ever did was cry and cry. By Kami the headaches-"

The sharp intake of breath from her visitor made Hatsu pause.

Kagome held her head as her thoughts rushed at a pace so fast it almost pained her. The marks matched, her words and his,,,they matched too.

"Hatsu, what have you done?"

She giggled, pleased now that she had food in her system.

"Oh you're beginning to figure it out?"

Hatsu stood, moving right to the bars to stare at Kagome.

"Well here's the funny part. I don't even know. I just wanted to get rid of a baby, not to mention ruin Touga for ignoring me like I was some bug."

Kagome shook her head as she realized just how insane the woman that stood in front of her was; she had started something that would endanger so many people.

"I must say though, the dragons were all his idea, and even that spiraled out of his control."

Kagome had run from the dungeons, leaving Hatsu, who laughed maniacally.

XXXXX

"I forbade you from going down there, Kagome. Why did you defy me?"

"I know you did, I'm sorry but-"

"I warned you for your own safety, not for my own health!"

Kagome sighed, trying to collect herself as well.

"Touga I know-"

He was beyond reason.

"And to speak to Hatsu? I told you-"

"Touga!"

She caught his face in her hands, looking into his eyes, finally getting him quiet. The silence threatened to break her down, but she blinked away the tears of fear, tears she hadn't cried since she sought Naraku.

"That…that man…Kirei. He assisted Hatsu in taking Sesshomaru from here."

The look on his face changed from anger to confusion.

"Wha-"

"He's planning something bigger, alright? Sesshomaru was just…just to get you distracted-"

"And then you brought him back."

He whispered; he pulled her hands from his cheeks with his own, instead just holding them in his grasp.

"And since I'm no longer distracted, his plans have probably accelerated, which would account for his early visit."

She nodded her head in assent. Again she could feel the anger bubbling back up inside him.

"Do you know anything else?"

His voice was deadly calm; his eyes flashed red with rage. He and Kirei had been enemies for quite some time, but this…combined with the knowing that he slept peacefully in a separate wing in _his_ palace?

Kagome nodded her head again, regret and fear clouding her expression.

"How…How much do you know of Ryukotsusei?"

A/N: Poop is what that is. Fourteen shitty pages of poop. Review anyway though, cause I like those. And I have a question. I'm curious to know how old you guys think I am. And if you would like to know why this is so late, read on, otherwise just PLEASE REVIEW, EVEN IF YOU HATE ME!

The device that holds the outline of this story was dropped into the tub and, needless to say, no longer works. I am officially reinventing this story and making it up as I go along, so if you have an suggestions, now is prime time for pitching them. Anyway, stay tuned if you think its worth it! I thank everyone who stuck with me and still gives me support with all this!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Please, I would really appreciate it if you read the author's note on my profile page and take the poll I am about to set up. It lets you know about a lot of things that have been going on with me and what I plan to do to fix it. Anyway, enjoy, and thank you so much for sticking with me (for those who have).

Chapter 16:

The stream that had once flowed through the cavern had long dried up, and the heat at the bottom defied the cool feeling of the jagged stone. There was a foreboding feeling felt by anyone looking down from above, but once in the abysmal hole, there was no doubt that you were in the presence of something sinister.

"Orochi."

A rough voice echoed through the abyss to reverberate through a boy who looked to be little more than a teen.

"Father."

He answered the call of his name. His eyes were closed, and he appeared relaxed, despite the natural tension of his environment; his demeanor matched perfectly with the expectation of one such as him – one born of evil.

"Kirei has acted rashly in his haste to take down the Western Lord and claim the lands for himself."

The ground rumbled acutely under the stress of the movement of an organism so large, and if the young man had eyes open he would have seen the frightening looking figure slithering its way toward him. He sighed.

"The first snow will be upon us soon, my son. It should be your every intention to take full advantage of his time of weakness, yes?"

"I was not aware that we were allowing Kirei to keep the Western lands, after all we are the strength allowing him to even entertain the idea."

"That is not your concern, Orochi. Do your duty."

The ground rumbled again, but the tremors got less and less beneath the young man's feet, signaling the retreat of his father. Soon after, a draft picked up through the cavern as the large beast took flight, whipping his shoulder length, white hair to a fro. Only when the man was left to his quiet peace once more did he sigh, opening his piercing red eyes that saw nothing and everything, before taking one large jump to get out of the trench.

XXXXX

"Maru-chan, kimoi!"

Shippo squealed, barely trying to avoid the pup's sticky hands, having too much fun to really be bothered by wearing more of the gurgling baby's meal than he was eating. Kagome laughed too, holding another small piece of an amanatsu to Sesshomaru's lips. He stared directly at her, and Kagome nodded reassuringly – positive she was making ridiculous faces to coax him into taking his last bite – causing him to open his mouth obediently, conquering the tiny bit of the fruit with his new fangs. Sesshomaru reacted to the sweet yet tangy fruit the same way he had every time before: he laughed – the sweetest little laugh – and slapped his hands up to cover his eyes, ensuring he would require quite the wipe down to clean him of his lunch. He had come to very much enjoy peek-a-boo, and now used the gesture whenever he was pleased with something. With a laugh of his own Shippo gently pulled Sesshomaru's hand from over his eyes, making the baby erupt into another fit of giggles as the two people came back into view.

Sesshomaru kicked his legs and stuck out his arms to Kagome, opening and closing his small hands until she pulled him from his high chair. As Kagome lifted him from it, she mused again about how amazing the carpenters in Touga's employ were. She had only given them a rough sketch and they had constructed something extremely helpful on the first go!

She smiled, tickling the baby's belly. In the past tense week, this had become one of her favorite activities. It could get messy, especially when Shippo was around to "help", but it was all in good fun.

"Let's get you two cleaned up."

She said, ruffling Shippo's hair. Mai was soon shuffling quietly into the kitchen with her granddaughter to clean-up behind them (though Kagome took pains to make as little a mess as possible), and the chuckle from the old woman did not escape Kagome; she looked over her shoulder as she left the kitchen, giving her a friendly smile.

"Kagome-san, do you mind if I join you? We have not spoken in a time, it seems."

The aging inu asked the retreating young woman. Kagome looked back again and nodded eagerly to the older woman, who reminded her a bit of Lady Kaede.

"Of course, Mai-san, please join us! We don't mind, do we boys?"

Shippo frantically shook his head no as he giggled. Sesshomaru too clapped in glee, and then the cutest look of curiosity came over his face as he realized it was harder to pull his hands apart – on account of the drying fruit juice.

"Well, as long as you don't mind helping?"

Kagome added, successfully getting the words out before Sesshomaru was peeling in laughter at his new discovery, slapping his hands over his face again. Kagome laughed with him, blowing raspberries on his cheek and leading the way to the bathing room in the family wing, a chuckling old woman following behind her and her boys.

"How have you been, Kagome-san?"

Mai asked after they had reached the bathing room and she was warming a basin of water with her youki as Kagome undressed the children; the wash room of course was equipped with hot springs, but Sesshomaru could not yet stand the heat of the water.

"Everything is alright, I suppose."

She lifted Sesshomaru from the short table for a moment, allowing Mai to put down the tub on its top, before gingerly placing the baby in the water.

"Touga has taken Shippo out of his lessons."

She rolled her eyes as Shippo cheered and splashed around from the spring. She looked over her shoulder at her son.

"Yes, Shippo-chan, I know how _devastated_ you are."

He giggled, before dunking himself to avoid her stare.

"Do not get too excited, my boy,"

Mai spoke up, rolling up Kagome's sleeves as she held Sesshomaru steady. The young miko smiled gratefully.

"I am sure Touga-sama has only allowed you this respite for the cardinal meeting that begins tomorrow. I am sure you will be back to your schooling before you know it."

Shippo groaned at the old woman's logic, making her laugh.

"Right."

Kagome laughed, though the sound was strained and not as carefree as the sound the old woman had become used to. She voiced her suspicion to the young miko in so many words.

"And how are Touga-sama and yourself, my lady?"

Kagome was quiet, wiping a lightly soaped cloth over the burned-out baby boy – who would definitely need to be put down for his nap after this – and she just tried not to notice Mai's questioning eyes. The inquiry got impossible to ignore however as it continued to hang in the room – as Mai was obviously not going to give up until she received an answer – and Shippo and Sesshomaru stared at her curiously now too. Heaving a sigh, she answered.

"I…we were beginning to like each other, it seemed."

Mai giggled.

"Well of course, my dear-"

"No, Mai-san, you don't understand. I was just imagining it, is what I'm trying to tell you."

The old woman scoffed, moving to help Shippo figure out which of the bottles that lined one edge of the tub contained the oil he was to use to clean his hair. She pulled the cork from it and held it out for him to sniff; he recoiled quickly, his nose crinkling cutely as he was overwhelmed by the scent of mint, before nodding his head and accepting it.

"I may be old, child, but I am not yet bli-"

"He compared me to a concubine, Mai-san."

Kagome lifted the clean baby from the water, wrapping him up and trying to distance herself from the old woman. Shippo dunked himself to rinse his hair, before hoping out of the bathing pool as well, wrapping himself in a towel, before following her out of the room and down the hall into the room he and Sesshomaru had been sharing. Mai flicked a piece of her hair out of her face with a sigh before following as well.

"Kagome I don't believe that-"

"_Please_, Mai-san, another time."

Kagome closed the conversation sensing her own volatile mood. Sesshomaru whimpered, calling her attention to just how tense she was.

"Gomenasai, Maru-chan…"

She whispered, cuddling close to him and nuzzling his cheek; she inhaled deeply, drawing as much comfort from his soft, baby scent as he did from hers.

"Okaa-san?"

She pulled her face away from Sesshomaru's cheek, turning to see her son. He stared at her quizzically.

"Do you love Touga-sama the way you loved Inuyasha?"

She gasped, sure her mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. And then she burst into giggles, ruffling his hair.

"No, Shippo-chan. I _love_ Inuyasha like a brother, like I _love_ Miroku."

"Yeah, but I meant before."

She sighed.

"That was just a young girls' crush."

'_This is much worse.'_

XXXXX

"Kenta, my friend."

Touga smiled warmly at his friend, and expression that did not often grace his face.

"Touga, how have you been?"

The inu lord looked over his ookami lord friend to see the leader of the Northern lands approaching.

"We will discuss it later instead."

Kenta took a whiff of the air, noticing the scent of a man that _neither_ lord was particularly friendly with, and nodded his head, stepping to the side to allow Touga and Yoshirou could shake hands.

"Yoshirou."

"Touga."

The Northern lord repeated the short, greeting ritual with the Southern lord.

"Ah, _friends_."

The three man that stood in the middle of the courtyard, turned toward the palace they had their backs to, watching the panther youkai lord descend the stairs as if he owned the place. Touga did not hide his snarl, for if there were anything they all agreed on it was how much they despised Kirei.

"You have made it in time for the banquet I see."

Youshirou brushed past him without a word in greeting, following behind a servant that had come to lead the new arrivals; his own servants trailed closely behind him with a trunk of his belongings. Kenta had remained by his friend's side, until an incline of Touga's head had him doing the same. Kirei watched them walk past with a sick grin on his face, his eyes boring holes into the Western lord. He soon shrugged his shoulders, having gotten the satisfaction he wanted, and turned back toward the palace.

But not soon after he began walking did he whip around again, having forgotten something.

"Oh and Touga, I believe I smelled dragon in the air earlier, surely you are not serving the for dinner tonight, are you?"

Touga sped until he stood directly in front of him, baring his teeth in anger. He did _not_ like being teased.

Especially not with something so great.

XXXXX

"Kagome."

The young miko groaned and rolled over, but did not present any signs of waking.

"Kagome."

The inu lord tried again, a gentle shake of the woman joining his efforts. He certainly did not expect to be thrown so violently across the room and pinned to the wall, with a sickle of pure energy forming around his throat. A growl built in his chest as his beast prepared him too to fight, but he stifled it quickly as the defense mechanism retreated and the miko flew from her bed.

"Touga! Gomenasai, I had no idea that – what on earth are you doing in my room anyway?!"

"My intention was to remove the chances of someone over-hearing the conversation I wish to have with you, but now that your stunt may well have awakened half of the palace, I ask that you come, _quietly_, with me."

She sighed, pulling a silk robe around her shoulders and following behind him…quietly, as requested.

"Everyone is still asleep."

Kagome rolled her eyes, noting that this was as close to an "I'm sorry for over-reacting about your volume earlier" as she would get.

"I'm sorry for throwing you into a wall."

She too apologized. In the dark of the hallway, along with the fact that he walked in front of her, Kagome was unable to see the smirk that had turned up a side of his lips.

"Where are we?"

She asked, once she was confident no one would hear; a shiver had run down her spine when Touga spread his youki over the walls, effectively sealing their sound and scent.

"These are your new quarters."

She could feel the furrow in her brow in confusion, but she was confused – and irritated from being pulled from bed – so she didn't bother fixing her face.

"Is there something wrong with my previous quarters?"

"These are closer to mine. We share a wall."

She had been surveying the room idly, but her eyes snapped back to him immediately.

"_What?_"

He stared back at her with an expression of annoyed boredom.

"I did not stutter, miko. And that is beside the point,"

Of course, it was not actually beside the point, for he in fact had several reasons for placing her next to him.

"This is why I want you here."

He pressed his hand to the wall that differed from the others in the fact that it was made of stone; Kagome felt a pulse and watched a faint glow of blue illuminate from his palm.

"Ah!"

She squealed as the floor to her left sunk in, leaving a medium sized hole.

A terrible settled into her chest, clearing all the sleepy haze from her mind that still lingered.

"Touga…what is this?"

He did not answer as he crossed the room to where she was, before promptly jumping down the hole he had made appear. Kagome shielded her eyes for a moment as a bright light rose from it before settling into an even glow; walking to the edge, she looked down to see that Touga had lit a torch. He put it back in its place on the wall, before turning to look at her.

"Come down."

He held a hand up to her, but she bit her lip still in apprehension. Closing her eyes for a moment, she steeled herself – she had faced down far worse than a small drop in her lifetime – and sat, dangling her legs over the edge before pushing herself off. He caught her easily and placed her on her feet.

"I came down here, with no help from you great youkai-sama who can fly and lift thousands of pounds with a thought, now tell me what this is all about."

Kagome asserted indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. Surprisingly, he chuckled, leading her now down the tunnel that extended in front of them.

"I will not be here to help you down if you really must come he-"

"Come _WHERE_, Touga?! What is this place?!"

He stopped suddenly as she yelled, but he did not yell back. The taiyoukai just turned slowly, meeting her eyes even slower.

"This is your safe room. In the future, if I…cannot protect you, you will take Sesshomaru and Shippo, and you will bring them here. I have lit the torches with my youki, and they will go out as I leave, but the first has a striking stone and is filled with oil so that it will continue to bu-"

"W-Why are you talking like this?"

She hated how her voice shook with her fear. Her hands clutched her arms, rubbing nervously up and down them. He sighed, and for the first time she saw sympathy in his eyes. Sympathy and fear…and the fear in his molten amber pools _terrified_ her.

"Because things are bad now, and they will get worse."

A/N: Yeah its late, I know. But its here right? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Check out who's not dead? Me!

Disclaimer: Nope. No way, no how. Not mine.

Chapter 17:

(Previously that same evening)

The servants that lined the room had expected a tense silence during the first dinner of the cardinal meeting, but what they hadn't accounted for was the pressing, sinister feeling of dread that chilled them to their very bones. They observed the regal men at the low-standing table, and they also observed each other. Any observer would be hard-pressed to find out who was responsible for the oppressive nature of the room if they looked at the four royals, but the answer could be easily discerned by looking toward the help.

Kirei's personal assistants squirmed, looking only at their feet. A younger girl stood in the group, and her shoulders shook, nearly silent sobs coming intermittently from her small form; in fact, the loudest sound she was making was the sound of her tears hitting the ornately carpeted rug.

"Girl,"

Kirei bellowed suddenly, making her look up. Touga took in her appearance, his lip curling in disgust at how mistreated she appeared; her face was unnaturally thin from obvious malnourishment, her eyes puffy and red - a faint bruise also marring the top of her cheekbone from what he guessed was a solid punch a week or so back -, and she trembled with deep-seated fear.

"If you cannot pull yourself together, you will condemn yourself to my wrath."

She continued to shake, a small whimper forcing itself from her chest, but her tears dried instantly. She was obviously very familiar with his threatened "wrath", as were the rest of the help considering the shiver that rippled through the group at the mention of it.

"Must you bring such un-pleasantries to the table, Kirei?"

Youshiro said, a sigh evident in his perpetually bored tone. Touga smirked, covering his expression well as he continued to eat. Kirei looked up, feigning annoyance.

"Perhaps you should mind your own business, Youshiro."

"Perhaps you should not make your business _everyone's_ business, Kirei. You are very skilled at focusing all the attention on yourself, but not quite as skilled at pretending that you don't want it."

The panther lord sneered, tucking back into his food, clearly upset at having been bested; Touga frowned into his rice, thinking about the fact that the poor girl was probably going to be punished even worse now that Kirei was in sour spirits. The panther demon was obviously on a quick trigger: giddy, angry, and worried for something all at the same time. It was figuring out just what that something was that was presenting the taiyoukai of the West the most trouble.

He knew that Kirei was trying to usurp him. He knew that he was behind the kidnapping of his son – which was meant to distract him, he also knew –, and he knew that the spineless panther had been conspiring with Ryukotsusei; the bastard was boasting about at every opportunity, but still managed to say only enough. Touga was still in the dark, and as every moment passed with him in the unknown he became more and more on edge.

XXXXX

(Present time)

Touga left Kagome's bed chambers, allowing himself a heavy sigh after shutting her door behind him. His own room was right next dorr to hers, but he found himself increasingly restless, and instead meandered in a different direction. With practiced ease, he followed the corridors in his home.

His home.

Yet Touga would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't feeling noticeably…disquiet.

He had subconsciously navigated himself to the nursery, and stood still over his son's bassinet. Carefully, he pulled the small pup into his arms, emitting a steady purr when the movement began to wake the baby from his most necessary sleep. He could not resist the smile that made its way to his face, dropping a kiss to the crown of his son's head before nuzzling his temple with his nose. Whimpering for only a moment, Sesshomaru settled back down in his father's arms, comforted by his scent and warmth.

"Touga-sa…?"

The inu turned slowly, spotting his adopted pup sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes and letting out a tongue curling yawn: like only a child could. Smirking a bit, Touga mused that the boy was absolutely adorable, and paternal feelings rushed through his veins despite the boy's parentage.

"Why in here?"

Shippo whispered, his speech slurring together with his obvious tiredness; the little boy slumped back down onto his pillow seeing his surrogate father approaching him, happy that he would not need to get up.

"I simply came to check on you and Sesshomaru."

Touga kneeled carefully, moving to a sitting position on the floor at the side of Shippo's stacked futon. He adjusted Sesshomaru, holding him now in the makeshift cradle that was created by his crossed legs, and purred again to settle him back down to sleep.

"I think a better question,"

Touga began, turning over his shoulder to meet an amber stare so similar to his own.

"Is why are you awake?"

He reached back carefully, ruffling the boy's hair and making him smile.

"I heard Sessho wake up, and I thought he might need something."

Shippo yawned again, his eye lids drooping closed despite the _gripping _ conversation he was engaged in.

"I have to be the best aniki ever, so…Shomu grows up…good."

The little boy was asleep again in moments, and the Western Lord had to admit to himself he was a little astounded. Had it not been for that fact that there was no foul scent in the air, he would have guessed someone had cast a spell on the child. Shaking it off, a smile touched his lips again as he stared at the boy, his words circling in his head.

"I will make sure you 'grow up good' too, Shippo-chan."

He said with a chuckle, pulling the blanket up higher over the boy's small form, the backs of his knuckles brushing over his chubby cheek.

"I will protect you."

He promised, his gaze alternating between the two pups sleeping soundly.

He would not allow this villainous plot to continue forging ahead, he promised himself. He would not allow any potential harm to come to either of his pups' silver-haired heads, vowing that their innocence would remain intact for much,_ much_ longer. He could not fail.

He had people to protect.

XXXXX

It was night again and Kagome found herself back in the hole. Touga had called it a "safe room" but it was really just a hole in the ground, it's perpetually ice cold stone walls made more imposing with just the thought of what they were for.

Perhaps that was the part that had the most unnerving effect on Kagome. Touga made sure she knew about this place because he was beginning to think that it was a necessity, that in the near future she would need to know of this hole – this _safe room_.

She rubbed her hands up and down her upper arms. The room was chilly despite the burning torches that lined the walls, separated from each other only by a few feet, but she was really succumbing to the force of habit to attempt to ward off the uneasiness she was feeling. She spun in a small circle after a moment, the flames doing tricky things to her own shadow that – she had to admit – were unnerving her the more she stood in the small room. Putting her back to one of the walls, she sunk to the icy floor, though her racing thoughts made it easy to ignore. She couldn't imagine how the boys would feel down here.

A rueful smile made its way to her face at the thought of them. She would have to teach Shippo how to correctly hold Sesshomaru, maybe bring some toys down here to entertain the two of them, definitely some food, and a ladder for Shippo to climb out and get help…Kami forbid she not return for them.

_Of course_ she too wasn't going to stay idly in a hole if madness was descending on the palace. She was the Shikon Miko, destroyer of Naraku. That boast held no weight here, as the hanyou in question had yet to even exist, but she knew what she was capable of, and that's what mattered. It was not just her duty as a miko to assist those in need, but her duty as Kagome Higurashi. She was going to help if the time came.

No matter how much trouble it got her into.

XXXXX

"You've hurt yourself again, I see?"

Kagome gasped, completely caught off guard by the new guest in her chambers. She rolled her eyes, registering the teasing in his voice and altogether not in the mood; there was still unresolved tension between them anyway, both emotional…and sexual, and Kagome was not nearly in the mood to deal with either at the moment.

"Touga, please-"

He appeared before her in half of a second, sufficiently stemming her train of thought. He grabbed hold of her arm, lifting it into view to inspect her wound. Touga smirked, managing to meet her eyes, before she looked away as her cheeks grew hot. From anger or embarrassment, Kagome wasn't quite sure.

"Are you sure you are as skilled an archer as you think you are?"

He continued baiting her, watching with barely contained satisfaction as her cheeks grew more red.

Kagome had not been speaking to him extensively as she used to, and he was missing it genuinely. Inu were innately social creatures, but he missed far more than simple chit-chat with her. She was the only person who was willing to argue with him about anything; most feared him too much to make an attempt at contesting an idea of his, and others simply were not intelligent enough. Her scent calmed his nerves, and her voice was the most soothing sound he had ever heard. Unfortunately, she had been avoiding him like a disease, cutting him off, and he had quickly found himself needing. Especially with the trouble brewing so close.

He knew at least that she'd respond to him if he riled her up enough, and so far his plan was unfolding impeccably.

"It's not me, the- ah!"

She gasped, feeling the sensation of his tongue on her skin once more. His amusement was clear in his shining amber pools, and Kagome huffed as she continued.

"Your bowstrings are wound to tightly, as they are not used enough. I think, in fact, it is your lack of any skilled archers that injures me so."

Satisfied with her response, she sent a smirk very similar to his back at him. Finished with his healing, Touga dropped her wrist, looping his arm around her waist, and tilting his head down to claim her lips: something he had been aching to do for three days.

He bit back a growl as he was stopped short, her hand formed over his mouth instead.

"What is this?"

Kagome whispered, no longer wanting to beat around the bush. Touga felt his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He knew that Kagome was upset with him, but for his life he could not figure out why. His pseudo staff chief and childhood nursemaid, Mai, had given him quite the mouthful after catching him in the hall earlier that day, and repeated to him what Kagome had told her, but none of what she understood had been his intention at all. He didn't mean to compare her to a concubine in that she was his whore, but in that she was simply _his_. Why didn't she understand?

He nudged her palm, asking to speak, and she removed her hand obediently.

"Kagome-"

Her name had barely breached his lips before the door to her chambers was slammed open, making her jump and him snarl. The guard who stood at the door appeared to be equally startled, but then bowed his head submissively.

"My apologies, My Lord,"

The young man swallowed thickly, sweat beading on his forehead.

"But there has been an attack."

A/N: Let's all pretend this isn't a little over a year late and go back to loving each other? I vote yes. I'm sorry. I'm just sorry. Too much to say to put in this note here, but if you're curious as to where the holy Hell I've been, you're always welcome to PM. Like always: comments, questions, or concerns? Comment with questions or concerns. If you have an account, I try to reply to all my reviews. And really, guys, reviews do keep me writing. Though I may seem like a bit of a dead beat, I really do care what you all think, so don't be afraid to tell me.


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